


Edge of Tomorrow

by MsPerception427



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Fluff and Angst, Good Theo Raeken, Hurt Theo Raeken, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Sad Liam Dunbar, Time Loop, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-27 22:17:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16711066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsPerception427/pseuds/MsPerception427
Summary: After getting on the bad side of the new witch in town, Liam is cursed to repeat the day until he can figure out the key to stopping the loop once and for all. Too bad he has no idea what that key is and what Theo has to do with any of it.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Tiếng Việt available: [[Vietnamese translation] Edge of Tomorrow](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18918199) by [higherthan_ (roccketraccoon)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roccketraccoon/pseuds/higherthan_)



> This was my NaNoWriMo challenge to myself. I told myself that I was going to write at least half of the 50,000 and I did it! So to celebrate, I'm gonna start posting this. The story is pretty much done. I just need to finish reviewing and making some edits. So I hope you enjoy!

At the end of the day, Liam just wanted everyone to know that this was all Theo’s fault. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t totally fair. It wasn’t completely his fault. It was mostly the witch. But Theo played a part. Okay, maybe not really. He actually had nothing to do with this. But Liam wasn’t in the mood to be rational these days. He was tired and cranky and the world seemed insistent on not giving him a damn break. And now there were witches. 

Of all the supernatural threats to plague the town of Beacon Hills, Liam was going on official record by announcing that witches were the absolute fucking worst. Especially this one. Since arriving in town a week ago, Lila Wayland had been making the pack’s lives a living hell. She hadn’t caused any significant or permanent harm but playing damage control to her merry mischief was a never-ending headache for the few pack members still in town. None of them had managed a good night’s sleep in days and it was starting to show.

They all looked like they were auditioning for roles as walkers on the  _ Walking Dead _ . Alec had long given up on pretending that he could hang with the older teens and was taking naps in the nurse’s office during his free period. Liam was sure the only reason that Corey and Mason were even halfway functioning was due to the copious amounts of caffeine they were consuming. Nolan was prone to sleep shuffling behind whichever member of the pack was nice enough (read awake enough) to successfully manage to navigate themselves much less someone else. It usually fell on Theo. The chimera somehow managed to look as refreshed as ever though Liam did notice he wasn’t quite as graceful as usual because Corey had to stop him from walking into a door a few times. He also seemed to have more difficulty concentrating as he was found staring into the distance more often than not these days.

As for Liam… well, the lack of sleep was royally screwing with his IED. That and having the pack around him seemingly 24/7 these days. Between school, lacrosse and the witch hunt, there was no escaping the pack. And that normally wouldn’t be a problem when it came to Mason, and by extension Corey, but it wasn’t just the three of them anymore. And god did Liam miss the days when it was just the three of them. The days before Nolan, Alec and… Theo joined the smaller subpart of the bigger McCall Pack. The Puppy Pack as Stiles liked to call them. Things were simpler before the other three came along. And almost as soon as he thought it, he regretted. Because there was nothing wrong with them, per se. 

Now that he was past his hunter phase in life, Nolan was actually cool. He was pretty chill most of the time and had a wicked sense of humor. He was also ridiculously loyal and always prepared to fight for his friends. Alec was new. He didn’t really get the kid that much. He was the youngest of the group at fourteen but already a werewolf for two years. After Scott pretty much adopted him and then dropped him off at his mom’s house before leaving to chase down the latest rumor about Monroe, Alec floundered. He struggled with his abilities and Liam was at a loss to help because he was struggling too. Then one day Alec latched onto Theo and refused to let go. They joked that he imprinted on Theo like a baby duckling and it wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Though it was more like a slightly feral cat. Alec picked Theo as his member of the pack and all those that crossed him felt the younger teen’s wrath. Not surprisingly, Liam has been on the receiving end of Alec’s pissy protectiveness in the past few weeks. 

As for Theo… The chimera had come a long way since his early days of plotting the destruction of the pack. In the three months since the war with Monroe and her hunters, the older teen had insinuated himself in the pack. It was rough at first with Mason and Corey but over time they both had warmed to him, especially Corey. Liam regularly found the two chimeras tucked away in some corner with their heads bowed whispering about something. Liam didn’t know when, or how, the two boys got so chummy. But they went from barely tolerating the other’s existence to spending every moment that Corey wasn’t with Mason together. That is when Theo wasn’t with Liam. Because they spent a good amount of time together as well. And despite what the others seemed to be thinking lately, Liam wasn’t oblivious. He knew. He knew that when he was around Theo he was significantly less angry. 

Mason, Stiles, and Lydia liked to throw around the word anchor. But Liam knew that word had a heavy connotation. Because Liam had an anchor once. He even made the mistake of falling in love with his anchor. And then she left him. Hayden left him and never looked back. So he had his heart broken and lost the calming focus for his rage all in one moment. It hurt. But then the hunters, and losing Brett and Lori, and then the Anuk-Ite… all of it meant that he didn’t have time to focus on the anger. It meant he didn’t have time to notice that the anger wasn’t as bad as it should’ve been to say that he lost his anchor only a few days before everything went to hell. But in the months after the war, Liam found he had nothing but time to notice it all. And to notice the reason behind it. 

Theo had become this all-encompassing figure in his life seemingly overnight. Whenever he had to make a decision, he always sought Theo to see what the chimera was thinking. He never made a plan without getting input from the older teen. Theo had insinuated himself into Liam’s life so neatly and without really letting him know how. He hated it. Because he didn’t want to lose it. If he told Theo how he felt, that made it real and eventually he would leave. Because that’s what people did with Liam. They left him. His father, Hayden and hell, even Scott. They all left him. And Liam couldn’t lose Theo. He wasn’t sure he would survive it. And to let him in would surely be to lose him. So Liam did what any responsible interim alpha would do when he was starting to have feelings for a vital member of his pack that he couldn’t afford to lose: he avoided him like the plague. 

When that didn’t work, he fell back into the pattern of punching him or yelling at him. A horrified part of him noticed that Theo didn’t fight back in these moments and he never hated himself more than when he lashed out at Theo for trying to help him. For trying to be who he was: Liam’s anchor. Liam knew he had to talk to Theo. It was getting pretty bad. He was withdrawn in a way that had nothing to do with being exhausted. He was defensive and pulling away out of discomfort and that is not what Liam wanted for him. Ever. He knew he had to fix it. And he would. Right after they dealt with Sabrina the Teenage Bitch. 

And deal with her they would, one way or another. They made a plan and they were going to confront her that night. They hadn’t tried talking to her yet and Liam was skeptical it would work. But it was a rare moment of him acknowledging Theo and his contributions. So he had to follow through. But that didn’t mean he had to be in a good mood about it. 

Hindsight would later prove that, much like most (all) of Liam’s ideas, was a dumbass idea. 

\-------------

“We’ve been walking for hours and we still haven’t found her!” Liam complained as he, Mason, Corey, and that damn Theo made their way through the preserve. It was late, Lila’s favorite time to play. “And why do Nolan and Alec get to sit this one out?!” 

“Because if Lila does take offense to us or we’re in any way compromised, we’ll have some backup on the outside that can get us help. Alec knows to get Parrish and Argent if I don’t check in with him. Plus the kid is dragging. I figured we could leave him and Nolan behind and if we can’t find Lila tonight then they can try tomorrow.”

It was a good idea. Smart and rational in the way that Theo tended to be. It pissed him off. Why couldn’t Theo be the way he used to be? Evil and remorseless. Now he was helpful and funny and gorgeous and vulnerable and made Liam want him even more. But he couldn’t. So he did what he did best when it came to Theo being Theo. 

“I guess being an evil genius comes in handy sometimes,” he commented, hating the words even as he said them. Theo tensed beside him, letting out a small wounded sound before his walls slammed up so quickly Liam could almost hear them. He was tensed and his body language was even more closed off than before. 

Liam almost apologized at that moment. He actually opened his mouth to say something when he heard a low growling that came from where Mason and Corey were walking. Liam started to move to his best friends when Theo cut him off, practically running to wrap an arm around Corey. He didn’t say anything out loud, instead choosing to murmur something nonsensical to the younger teen. Mason stopped walking and allowed the two chimeras to go ahead. Liam sighed. Mason shook his head in silent judgment. They continued on. 

Liam isn’t sure how long they walked but one minute they were looking for the witch and then she was there. She was taller than them with long, wavy black hair. Purplish blue eyes peered at them from behind the fringes of her hair giving her an otherworldly aura. Ruby red lips twisted into a smirk that would give Theo a run for his money. So this was the elusive Lila Wayland. He didn’t think it was possible to hate someone more than he hated her at that moment. 

“Well, well if I had known it would be hotties like you chasing me, I would’ve let myself be caught sooner,” she said, letting her eyes roam over Theo’s body suggestively. 

Liam was wrong. It was possible to hate someone even more than that. This bitch… but still, he had no right to be jealous. He was the one that was putting up the boundary between him and Theo. So if Theo wanted to flirt with the crazy witch then that was his right. 

“Uh, thanks,” Theo replied, glancing towards Liam for a moment. “We were actually hoping to talk to you.”

She smiled brightly. “Anything for you, sweet cheeks. What did you want to talk about?”

“About all the trouble you’re causing in town,” Liam retorted, cutting Theo off. “We were hoping you could get the hell out of our town.”

“Now why, Little Wolf, would I want to do that? Why when it’s so much fun here? This town is just humming with energy and I’m here to have a good time.”

“You and I have very different ideas of what makes a good time,” Mason commented. “Look, you seem perfectly rational and whatnot. So you have to see that you’re causing a lot of trouble and a lot of people are kind of terrified right now. So it would be really great if you just stopped.”

Lila’s eyes rolled towards Mason and Liam felt his muscles tense in preparation for her doing something. But instead of turning Mason into a toad or whatever it was that witches did, Lila laughed. Her head fell back as she laughed in amusement like any of the trouble she’s caused these past few days have been even remotely amusing. 

“Oh, no. I have no intention of stopping. This whole stupid town… no, this world is going to know how I feel!”

“And how do you feel?” Theo asked, feigned yet somehow sincere concern dripping from his voice. It was a manipulation tactic that Liam knew he hated having. But it got results. 

“I feel pain,” Lila answered, grief flickering over her face. “I feel angry. People noticed what I’ve done?! Good! They’re scared?! They should be. Because no one cared. No one cared when this town killed her for being different but they’re going to care now.” 

“So you lost someone,” Theo murmured, head tilted thoughtfully. Lila’s eyes watching him carefully. “You mentioned a her. She was… your girlfriend? She was supernatural?”

“Were-jaguar,” Lila answered, somewhat tearfully. “She was murdered by hunters.”

“I’m sorry,” Theo said and this time he was being sincere. “I really am. A lot of people died when the hunters came. Good people who didn’t deserve that. But you’re punishing the whole town because of the actions of a few. That’s not fair.”

“I don’t care,” Lila hissed through clenched teeth. “This town is going to know what it’s like to lose everything you care about. They’re going to feel my pain.”

“Look, I get it. You lost your girlfriend and that sucks but we all have lost people. I lost two friends during the war. That doesn’t mean I get to take my shit out on the rest of the world!” Liam snapped, growing impatient with the prolonged negotiations and dramatics. 

“You think you know loss?! You think you have half a clue about what that kind of pain is like? You can’t even begin to imagine!”

“Try me!”

“Liam,” Theo said, a warning in his voice. “Maybe we don’t piss off the already angry witch?”

“What you don’t want me to piss off your new girlfriend?”

“Not the time,” Theo retorted dryly but Liam could smell the hurt in his chemosignals. He hated it. He ignored it. “Lila, I’m really sorry about your girlfriend but we can’t let you keep hurting people. Hurting this town won’t bring her back. It won’t take away the pain.”

“Speaking from personal experience?” 

Liam saw red. How dare she come at him like that? Theo was defending her stupid ass. How dare she try and use Theo’s sister against him like that? How dare she think her pain trumped the pain they all experienced? 

“Li, no,” Mason tried, no doubt seeing the start of his rage. “Theo, you wanna...?”

“Yeah,” Theo sighed. He took a step towards Liam with that stupid smirk in place. Liam hated when he did that. When he put himself in front of an angry Liam, ready to take the hits if needed but still willing to help him through the anger. “Dial it back, Little Wolf. No one needs the full Liam experience right now. We’re just having a friendly chat.”

“Why do you always do that?!” Liam growled, feeling at least a partial shift taking over. “Why do you always think you’re responsible for me?! Newsflash, you’re not. If anyone around here is responsible for anyone, it’s me. I’m responsible for you! You’ve been my responsibility since I pulled you out of hell and you’re always going to be. So stop trying to act like you’re important here. Because you’re not. You’re here because we need to watch you, not the other way around.”

Theo’s eyes widened, taking a step back. He swallowed. “I was just trying to help.”

“Well, you’re not and you don’t. The only thing you’re good at is destruction and manipulation. The only reason we keep you around is because I made the mistake of pulling you out of hell because I thought that you could help with the Ghost Riders. And you didn’t even do that! I honestly don’t even know why you’ve stuck around this long. You don’t help and we don’t need you.”

Silence never sounded as loud as it did when Liam finally finished his angered rant. He was only half aware of the words that had come out of his mouth when he was saying them. But now that he was done, they hit him with a sickening feeling of  _ guiltshameregret.  _ How could even pretend that Theo didn’t help? Theo helped every day. He opened his mouth to take it back, to apologize, to do something but Theo cut him off.  __

“Right,” Theo said, swallowing again and nodding shakily. It was the only indication Liam had that Theo was even slightly affected by his words. His mask was up and stronger than ever. His heart was steady and no chemosignals were getting through. This was pre-Hell Theo and it was the version he never wanted to see again. “So since I’m not needed here, I’m just gonna head out. I’ll see you at school tomorrow. Good luck with this whole witch thing.” 

With that said, he was turning on his heels and all but sprinting away. Corey yelled his name but the older chimera didn’t respond. He kept moving towards where they parked their cars. Corey paused only to glare in Liam’s direction before he took off running to catch up with Theo. Mason huffed but didn’t give Liam another look. His entire focus was on Lila who was watching them all with a curious look in her eye. 

“Can we just wrap this up already? What do we have to do to get you to stop?” Liam asked, tiredly. He felt his wolf retreating and now all he felt was guilt and exhaustion. 

Lila shook her head and smiled. Her fingers twitched in his direction before her smile grew brighter. “Oh, my dear Little Wolf, the only way you’re going to get me to stop is by feeling my pain. You think you know loss but you have never felt my kind of pain.” She paused, closing her eyes and smirking. “But you will. See you soon, Liam.”

She snapped her fingers and disappeared with a puff of smoke. Damn dramatic ass witches. He seriously did not sign up for this shit. 

“So are we going to talk about what just happened or no?” 

“What do you mean? Psycho witch made vague comments and whined about death before disappearing in a literal puff of smoke. What else do we need to talk about?”

“Liam Eugene Dunbar,” Mason started, hands on his hips. “If you even remotely think I’m talking about what happened with you and the witch, you must be smoking something. I’m talking about Theo.”

“What about Theo?” Liam asked, stubbornly clinging to innocence. Mason was, expectedly, not impressed. 

“You can’t keep treating him like that.”

“Why because you all think he’s my anchor?”

“No! Because he’s your friend and he doesn’t deserve that!” Mason retorted. “But also yes, he’s your damn anchor and that’s a job that most people would shy away from given your history and proclivity for violence towards the ones you care about and yet he’s embraced it. Even when it causes him pain. Hell, I’m starting to think it’s especially because it causes him and pain and that big dumbass thinks he deserves it.”

“Since when have you been on his side?!” 

“Since you and Corey both forced me to believe he was a good person who deserved a second chance. And I do because you’re right. He is a good person. Whoever and whatever he was before Hell doesn’t matter. He changed and he deserves a chance to prove it. You helped me realize that. Then you got all in your feelings and here we are with you acting like an ass and hurting him even when we both know it hurts you too.”

Liam hated that Mason was right. And he was. This whole plan Liam concocted or pushing Theo away to protect himself was cruel. He knew it from the very beginning but he couldn’t help it. He was scared. And it was a proven fact that Liam often did incredibly stupid things when he was scared. 

“You’re right, okay? You’re right.  I've been a total dick and I know it. But I crossed a line tonight didn’t I?”

“I think you really hurt him, dude. I think... he might’ve been crying.”

And even though he didn’t want to, Liam replayed those last few moments with him and Theo behind. And yeah, right before his walls slammed up and the mask took over for the second time that evening, Liam could recall scenting salt. Fuck. 

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow. I’ll make it right with him.”

“See that you do.”

Feeling properly chastised, Liam let Mason guide him back to where only his car was parked. They rode there separately, the two chimeras together and then Mason and Liam. And apparently, that’s how they were leaving. Liam sighed and got in the car. As he was starting it up, Mason’s phone pinged indicating that he had a message. 

“Oh, Corey is on his way back to pick me up. He said he got Theo parked somewhere relatively secluded for the night. He might actually be able to sleep through the night for once.” 

“Parked?” Liam’s brow furrowed. “Secluded? Sleep through the night?” 

“Liam, seriously?” Mason stared at him as if he was the one that was speaking utter nonsense. Mason’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me right now?! How do you seriously not know this?! Theo is homeless. He lives in his truck!”

“What?!”

Liam felt like the world opened up underneath him. How did he not know this? In retrospect, it made so much sense. They all knew the people he was living with when he first returned to town were not his parents. They knew that his biological parents disappeared shortly after Tara died, probably because they were killed by the Dread Doctors. After coming back from Hell, he was cut off from the Dread Doctors’ resources, so of course, he had nowhere else to go. He had nothing except for his truck. And Liam was too busy trying to ignore him than to offer any kind of help. He was the worst. 

“Does anyone else know?” 

“Everyone else knows,” Mason replied, rolling his eyes. “Every now and then, Alec pulls the puppy dog eyes and can convince him to crash in the extra room at Melissa’s house. She’s been trying to get him to move in for months but he won’t listen. Corey has tried a few dozen times. Scott even tried to pull alpha rank but it didn’t work. He thinks that Theo won’t listen to anyone but his anchor at this point but that’s a lost cause. Because his anchor has his head too firmly shoved up his own ass.” 

“His anch….oh,” Liam clenched the steering wheel tighter. “I’m his anchor. Right. That actually makes sense.” 

“Yeah,” Mason answered, voice softening. “Liam, you’re my best friend. I get where you’re coming from. I know your past and I know why you’re pushing him away. But I also need you to stop.” Liam turned to face him. Mason offered him a soft smile. “He’s not Hayden, dude. He’s not Hayden, he’s definitely not your dad and he’s not even Scott. He’s not leaving. He could’ve left so many times but he hasn’t. He’s still here. He sleeps in his truck and plays babysitter to a bunch of teenagers who mostly whine at him. He has every right to pack up and leave town but he doesn’t. He stays.” 

Liam nodded. “I know that but… I can’t lose him.” 

“You don’t have him,” Mason reminded him, not at all helpfully. He glanced out the window at the car that was pulling to a stop near them. Corey was back and judging by the way he was not getting out of the car, not really in the mood to see Liam again. That… was valid. “Look, Li. Go home, think about it and get some rest. But most importantly, get your shit together, bro. Not to be all  _ Game of Thrones _ here but winter is coming and it gets cold out here at night. Especially sleeping in the backseat of a truck.” 

“Yeah,” Liam said, shaking his head. “You’re right. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, tomorrow.” Mason reached over and pulled him into a hug. “I love you, bro.” 

“Love you,” Liam whispered, leaning into the hug and holding on for a brief moment. Then Mason was gone, shuffling over to where Corey was still waiting for him. He gave one last wave before getting in the car and then they were gone. 

Liam hesitated before leaving. He thought about calling Theo. He thought about driving around until he found wherever the chimera was parked for the evening. He thought about doing all that but he realized it would be pointless. Theo was hurting and he was still reeling. No, it would be better to go home and at least try and get some sleep. Lila seemed to be holding off for the night at least. It would be better to sleep on this and try talking to Theo in the morning. He would make things right with the older teen. He had this in the bag. He wouldn’t fail. Not on something this important. 

Hindsight, however, would show that would ultimately prove to be a goddamn lie...     


* * *

_ All our times have come _ __  
_ Here but now they're gone _ __  
_ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ __  
_ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ __  
_ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ __  
_ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ __  
_ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _  
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

Liam grunted as his phone alarm blared at him. It was set a whole hour earlier than he normally would’ve picked and it wasn’t one he remembered setting in the first place. He didn’t even remember picking this particular song. He was definitely a fan of the classics but this song was a little too on the nose for him these days, especially after their talk with Sabrina the Grieving Witch the night before. He thought that a good night's sleep would help to ease his mind but really all it did was give him time to think. And the more he thought about it the more he realized that he was woefully unprepared to face Theo today. He had some time to think and examine his behavior since the hunters left town. Time to reflect on just how much he took Theo for granted. He just assumed that Theo would want to do things for and with him and never even bothered to thank him. It was the same behaviors he hated from the older members of the pack and he was just as guilty. 

His bad mood did not improve as the rest of his morning seemed determined to keep him stuck in a permanent state of awful. First, the hot water was all gone. Then, his mother made coffee but it was at best half a cup of coffee by the time he got dressed. She sent him a text earlier that morning explaining that she had an emergency at work and therefore was unable to make breakfast before she left. His father was long gone, called in earlier because of some crisis at the hospital. Thus Liam was left to his own devices. His own devices were definitely untrained and meant to be kept far, far away from the kitchen and things that were flammable. He found himself itching to pick up the phone and call Theo. Because like all areas of life it seemed where Liam was deficient, Theo excelled. And while Liam’s culinary skills left everything to be desired, Theo was a genius. 

Before he put up the barrier between them, Theo came over early one morning and made him breakfast. It was right after Scott, Lydia and Malia left for good but before Alec joined the pack. He said he did it because he thought Liam deserved a bit of light in his life. So he broke in and made a full breakfast. He was preparing to slip out before anyone woke up when Liam’s mother came downstairs surprised to see one of her son’s friends in her kitchen that early. She had one taste of his eggs and pancakes and was ready to adopt him. She ordered him to sit down and eat breakfast with the rest of the family. Theo had come over one more Sunday after that before Liam realized that they were getting too close. Theo called his mom Jenna! He called her by her name and his mom adored him. She always asked him about him. Even his dad asked where his friend was keeping himself these days. 

Liam groaned as his thoughts led him right back to the one person he was trying not to think about until he had to aka when he was standing in front of him no doubt stuttering and stumbling for words. He let out an annoyed huff before a familiar scent caught his attention and also calmed him. He followed it to the laundry room. His mother had a pile ready to go in later that evening and Liam recognized one of Theo’s hoodies on the top of the pile. He must have left it during one of their planning sessions. Liam picked it up and let the calming scent of Theo wash over him. 

Without even thinking about it, Liam slipped the hoodie on, grabbed the burnt remains of his breakfast along with his half of a cup of coffee and jumped in his car…. That was out of gas. Because in all his internal angsting about Theo the night before, he failed to remember that he was supposed to get gas. It had been a while since he drove the car. He was so used to getting rides from Theo that he hadn’t even given the reality of needing gas to make a car go any real thought. Until right now. He thumped head against the steering wheel. Today was truly awful. 

He called Mason to see if he could get a ride from him but his best friend was already at school to talk to his biology teacher about an extra credit project. Yet another message that Liam had ignored until it was too late. But because Liam had the best damn friends anyone could ask for, Mason offered to come back for him. Liam shot the idea down and resigned himself to the walk ahead. It was a long trek but maybe it would give him some much-needed insight into how he was going to talk to Theo. Because if this morning taught him anything, it’s that Theo made everything better. And he seriously needed to make it right with him. 

That’s why he didn’t bother to stop when he got to school. He walked right past his locker, ignoring Alec demanding to know what he said to Theo this time and Mason encouraging him to get some. He marched straight to Theo’s locker with every intention of falling on his knees and begging for the chimera to forgive him but his well-planned groveling was cut off by coming face to face with the wrong damn chimera. 

Instead of Theo with his beautiful face and amazing smirk and that stupid mole that Liam wanted to kiss and the soft hair he wanted to bury his fingers in, he was met with the simmering, stewing rage of the pack’s resident were-chameleon. Corey was leaning against the locker next to Theo’s with an annoyed expression on his face that only grew more annoyed when he saw Liam approaching. His brow furrowed before his eyes darted down to the hoodie. Corey rolled his eyes. Looks like it wasn’t just Theo that Liam needed to fix things with. He had successfully alienated both chimeras. He was doing such a great job as alpha. 

“What do you want?” 

“I just want to talk to him. Have you seen him?”

“No,” Corey answered reluctantly. He crossed his arms over his chest. “And he’s usually here by now. He showers in the locker room before school. But his truck isn’t here.”

“Did you call him?”

Corey rolled his eyes again. “It was the first thing I did when I got here and didn’t see his truck. Unlike you, I actually give a shit about him beyond what he can do for the pack.”

“Corey, that’s not….” Liam trailed off, taking a deep breath. It wouldn’t do to lose his shit on Corey right now… especially since Corey was right. Besides, if he had any hope of fixing things with Theo it paid to be on the good side of what was effectively his best friend. So Liam forced a smile on his face and looked into Corey’s eyes, willing the chimera to see how sincere he was. “I see how you got that idea. I haven’t been the best around him. I’ve been a dick. I get that. But I’m going to fix it with him. I am. Core, you know me.”

There was a moment of hesitation and finally, Corey sighed. “I do. I know you mean well. But Theo… he’s not as tough as he seems. He’s got layers and a lot damage. I mean he did before but hell made it worse. He’s not okay. And I keep trying to help him be but it’s not enough. But I’m going to keep trying. He was a shit alpha but he’s a good friend. And I’m not going to let anyone hurt him. Even you. The rest of this pack does a good enough job of that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Seriously?” Corey asked, sounding incredulous and sad for Liam’s general existence all in one. “With the exception of me, Scott, Mase and Alec, everyone here treats him like crap. You all make demands of him and expect him to risk his life for you. And he does it! Without hesitation or question. And I’m over it. He did bad shit. But so did Peter and Deucalion. Deucalion is the reason Tracey and Josh died. And he was following Scott’s orders.”

Liam clenched his jaw but didn’t argue. Because Corey was right again. This really was a morning for the hard truths. It was Scott who planted Deucalion in Theo’s midst and Deucalion who convinced Theo that the only way to get the power he wanted to escape the Dread Doctors was to kill Tracey and Josh. It wasn’t something that settled easily with Liam. Especially when he thought about how easily that could’ve been Corey or even Hayden. How little the McCall pack cared outside of stopping Theo. And how they used that against him without hesitation whenever they wanted to justify the way they treated him. 

“I get it,” Liam said, trying to sound reassuring. “I’m going to talk to him whenever he gets here. I’ll make it right with him. I promise.”

Corey’s head tilted to the side and it almost seemed like he was listening to Liam’s heartbeat which last time Liam checked, Corey couldn’t do. He had some enhanced senses but not to that level. Liam narrowed his eyes but before he could voice the thought that was looming in his mind, Corey finally nodded. 

“Fine. But you better fix this.”

“I will. As soon as he gets here, I’ll fix it.”

\-------------

But Theo never came in. Liam knew he looked desperate when he searched the crowded halls between each class for a sign of the other teen but he was beyond caring. This wasn’t like Theo at all. He was the one that actually liked school. Nerd. He never ditched. He especially didn’t ditch without telling one of them. He wouldn’t even go to his truck at lunch without notifying at least two pack members. So for him to be missing this long with no word was concerning. Liam couldn’t help the knot building in his stomach with every passing second he didn’t have Theo in sight. 

As the day progressed, Liam felt like his skin was crawling. He was anxious and even Theo’s scent wasn’t enough to keep him from feeling like he was going to burst. The wolf inside was howling, begging, for him to run. To go. To find his pack member and keep him safe. But Liam stayed. He suffered through four periods with no sign of Theo. He made it until lunch. Until he saw Corey who was also restless. He felt something in Corey calling to his wolf. He never felt that pull with the chameleon before but he had other more urgent concerns. Corey met his gaze and nodded. 

“Screw this,” Liam announced. “Let’s find him. I don’t know why he’s not here but he’s never gone this long without answering one of us.”

“Fucking finally,” Alec muttered, putting the remains of the sandwich he had been mostly toying with in the garbage can beside their table. 

“Actually, Alec,” Liam started, knowing the teen was going to protest but something told him that he had to spare Alec. He couldn’t bring him with him but god… he didn’t want to imagine why. “I think maybe you should stay here. It’ll be easier to sneak out with just me, Corey and Mason.”

Alec opened his mouth to protest but it quickly closed. Liam heard his heart tick up. He felt it too. The strange energy in the air. Theo never ignored them for this long. Sometimes he got in his moods and he would let a few calls go without an answer but never from Alec or from Liam, as much as he deserved it sometimes. So it wasn’t right that he wasn’t answering. It wasn’t… 

“Bring him back,” Alec said in a quiet voice. “Okay? I know that he’s a pain in the ass but he’s… like family and I don’t have… just bring the idiot back, okay?”

“Yeah,” Liam promised, his voice cracking. “I’ll bring him back.”

Alec modded shakily before reclaiming his seat. Liam didn’t need to look to know that Nolan would be staying with his best friend to make sure that he was okay. The two younger boys didn’t make sense on paper at first but Liam knew that Alec depended on Nolan as much as he did Theo. He needed them both. And Liam really hoped for all their sakes that he was able to keep his promise. That he was going to bring Theo home. 

The trio left after that. They didn’t encounter a single teacher or staff member. It was almost like the universe decided to be to good to them now. Liam felt his dread growing with every passing second. Eventually, Corey led them to the deepest part of the preserve where Theo spent the night. The pit grew heavier when they found Theo’s truck parked exactly where Corey said it would be but there was no chimera in sight. 

They stumbled over to the abandoned vehicle and that’s when he smelled it. Wolfsbane and blood. He wasn’t at all surprised to see the bullet marks littering the exterior of the truck. Hunters. Hunters found him even deep out here where no one would think to look for him. Liam swallowed. 

“Theo?!” He yelled, trying to keep his panic from bleeding into his voice and knowing that he failed miserably. “Theo?!”

“Dude, where are you?” Corey joined in. “We’re here now. We can make it better.”

But there was no answer. The woods seemed eerily quiet. They all silently agreed to spread their search to see if they could find him. Liam kept his senses open, straining to hear even the faintest heartbeat. But he heard nothing. He hasn’t even been walking for a full five minutes when he caught several scents: more wolfsbane, stale blood, fear and.. death. 

Liam’s feet moved him before he could begin to put that information together. He walked towards where he smelt the toxic odor that was now clogging his nose and clinging to his skin. His wolf continued to push him forward but his everything else wanted to stop. Because the wolfsbane odor was getting stronger as was the dried blood. He could smell it all but he couldn’t hear a heartbeat. He couldn’t hear breathing. All he heard was the blood pounding in his own flesh. The wolf inside mourning already. He could hear Mason yelling Theo’s name futilely. Corey’s own cries growing quieter as the reality settled on him too. They knew. They knew before they left. Now all they had to was… find him. 

Liam found him first. Curled up at the base of a tree. Several wounds littered his skin but it was the one right between his eyes that killed him. Liam staggered towards the downed chimera and choked on a sob rising up. Those beautiful hazel green eyes that Liam has spent hours being lost in stared sightlessly ahead. Dried tear tracks stained colorless cheeks. His lips that Liam has spent more time than he could even admit to himself fantasizing about kissing were parted slightly. If Liam didn’t know him. If he hadn’t made knowing Theo his professional hobby, he would think the chimera was simply resting. But he knew better. 

He fell to his knees, eyes raking over Theo’s body desperately searching for any sign of life. There was none. Liam lifted a shaky hand towards Theo’s neck and pressed trembling fingers to not so cold skin. He wasn’t dead for long. While they were sitting at school wondering where he was, he was out here being tortured by hunters who put him out of his misery most likely a mere half an hour before they arrived. Liam didn’t hesitate to pull the chimera into his arms. His body was still pliant and if he closed his eyes and pretended he could almost believe that they were just laying together on his bed watching a movie like they used to before Liam pushed him away. Before Liam wasted so much time. Time they could’ve had together. 

“No!” Corey’s voice sounded from somewhere around him but Liam’s sole focus was on the body in his arms. 

He failed. He failed Theo. He was supposed to be there. He was supposed to make things right. But he didn’t. He just…. Theo was gone. This wasn’t how this was supposed to be. 

“Hey,” Mason said, kneeling in front of Liam. He spared a soft, sorrowed filled glance at Theo before forcing his eyes up to meet Liam’s. “I just talked to Argent and the Sheriff. They’re coming to help us, okay? They’re going to… they’re going to take Theo. And then we can figure out what to do with him. But we have to tell the pack.”

“They’re not going to care,” Corey growled. Like actually growled. If Liam had more presence of mind, he would’ve asked about that. But as it was, his sole focus was on the boy in his arms. “They’ll probably thank the hunters for their hard work and dedication.”

“Regardless of what some might say, we still have to tell Nolan and… Alec.”

And that brought Liam right back to reality. Because he had no idea how he was supposed to begin to Alec about Theo. And for that matter, how were they supposed to tell Melissa. He knew they had repaired their relationship after one really weird night and she was just as protective of Theo as she was her own son. Theo had touched so many lives and now he was gone. 

As it turned out they didn’t need to tell Melissa anything. Chris took care of that for them. Liam didn’t know if Chris or Melissa handled telling Alec and the rest of the pack but they all knew by the time he, Mason and Corey arrived at Scott’s house. Theo’s body was with Deaton. It took a lot to make Liam leave him there. He didn’t want to leave him period but the vet’s office seemed cruel but Corey insisted with a frantic energy that Theo would’ve preferred that over the morgue. Liam remembered how Theo reacted to the hospital when they were distracting the Ghost Riders and agreed. 

So they left him and retreated to the McCall house to process, make plans and start to grieve. Even though Alec knew, it didn’t stop him from looking at Liam like he wanted him to deny it. Like he wanted the older beta to say that it was just a trick and that Theo was fine. But he couldn’t. Alec’s face crumpled and he broke down. Liam held him for a while but his own grief was pulling him down. Chris took the younger wolf up to his room and promised to stay with him. 

There was some half hearted talk of plans after that. He deserved a funeral. He deserved a proper goodbye. But nothing was finalized. It was too soon. The wound of his loss was too raw. They couldn’t even begin to process it all right now. Mason and Corey left shortly after their talks fell apart. Liam almost left with them but found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move. Melissa assured him that he didn’t have to. She took him upstairs to the room Theo too infrequently crashed in. His scent was faint but it was there. It both soothed and hurt. 

“He was still alive,” Liam whispered. He felt Melissa giving him her full attention from where she sat beside him on the bed. “He was still alive this morning. If we had just looked for him sooner. If we had just…”

“Oh, Liam,” Melissa crooned, gathering her son’s beta in her arms. “Sweetheart, there is no way that you could’ve known that he was in danger. Theo… he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself. You know that.” 

“Yeah, he would probably call me stupid or something really smart that meant I was an idiot,” Liam snorted. His heart clenched. The pain in his chest spreading. “He’s gone.”

“He is,” Melissa said, grief clouding her scent. Liam wound his arms around her in response. “He shouldn’t be gone. He should be right here in this room getting ready for bed or doing his homework. He shouldn’t have been in that stupid truck. Stupid stubborn chimera.”

“You really cared about him, didn’t you?”

“It would’ve been so much better if I could only see him as the kid that murdered my son. But he’s always been so much more than just that. Even before he came back to town,” she admitted ruefully. “I was his nurse whenever he was in the hospital. And he was there a lot. His parents… his parents were awful. They just saw their son as a burden because of his health. And he never thought differently. I get why the Dread Doctors were able to manipulate him so easily. He just wanted somewhere to belong.”

“He belonged with us,” Liam said. “He belonged but I don’t think he knew that.”

“He didn’t. For someone so smart, he really is… was a dummy.” Melissa shook her head. “He fell asleep watching movies with Alec last week and when I sent him up here to sleep, he called me mom. Then the big dummy apologized. Like I would ever be mad about that. Like I…” she trailed off. She shook her head like that would erase the tears and sighed. “Try and get some sleep. Scott is driving back tonight with Malia. I think Stiles and Lydia will be in tomorrow morning. It’s going to be a long day.”

“Yeah, goodnight.”

Melissa kissed him on the forehead before leaving him in the room alone. He let his eyes shift slightly to see better in the darkness. He could make out a few signs that this would’ve been, should’ve been, Theo’s room. Books he’s read, knick-knacks picked up from various pack outings, pictures, and a few hoodies. They were all signs that he had a home all along. And Theo had no idea. He didn’t realize how loved he was and now he would never know. 

Liam laid down on the bed, not bothering to take off Theo’s hoodie. It helped. Surrounded by his scent, Liam could almost pretend that Theo wasn’t lying on a table in the back of the vet’s office right now. He could almost pretend that he was in the bathroom and any minute now he would be sliding back into bed beside Liam with that beautiful smile. Liam put his hand on the cold side of the bed and cried. 

He never was that good at playing pretend. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Liam realizes this is literally the plot to Groundhog Day but still can't see an ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you can see the chapter count changed. This is primarily because I took another look at the draft and it would've been way more painful for everyone if I dragged it out. So I'm going to end all the angst here and move on to the inevitable happy ending in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Also, there have been some changes in the tags. So just a trigger warning for suicide attempts.

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

Liam woke with a start. That song, his alarm. Why would his alarm go off on a Saturday… and also… Theo’s scent wasn’t there. He was in his room at home. That didn’t make any sense. He went to sleep at the McCall house. But he was back home. How was that possible? He grabbed his phone sitting on the nightstand where he left it two days ago and saw he had two messages: one from his mom apologizing for having to leave home early for a work emergency and another from Mason reminding him to talk to Theo. His brow furrowed as he looked at the calendar app. It was Friday. Again. But how?!

He stumbled out of bed, his mind reeling. He vividly remembered so many details of the day before or what he thought was the day before. It clearly wasn’t as it was still Friday. Liam ran a shaky hand through his hair and moved to the bathroom to take a shower. As he expected, the water was cold. This was completely insane. He was having the most intense feeling of deja vu. Everything was the same… that meant that… 

Ignoring the whole ‘don’t call Theo cuz you’re a dick’ thought process from the day before, Liam dialed the chimera’s number strictly from memory. With each ring, he felt his heartbeat stuttering and then finally Theo answered. 

“ _ Liam _ ?” his voice was raspier than usual, but it sounded perfect to Liam. “ _ What’s wrong? Did something happen? _ ”

“No, no. Nothing happened,” Liam answered, wiping tears from his eyes and laughing a little at how concerned Theo was even though he was half asleep. “Nothing. I just… I needed to talk to you. To hear your voice. And to tell you I’m so sorry about last night.”

Theo was uncharacteristically quiet, and Liam felt the seconds stretch on. But he would stay quiet for as long as Theo needed. Finally, after a minute the older teen sighed. 

“ _ Okay _ ,” he murmured. It was half-hearted and resigned. Liam’s chest clenched. “ _ It’s okay, Liam. I get it. _ ” 

“No, you don’t, and no, it’s really not okay. But we’ll talk more when you get to school. That is if you want to talk.”

“ _ Yeah, I do. I mean I want to talk. I’ll see you soon. You, uh, you need a ride? _ ”

Liam remembered the empty gas tank. But then he also remembered that Theo liked to shower before school. Because he slept in his freaking truck instead of the bed and a bathroom waiting for him in a house full of people that cared about him. 

“ _ Liam _ ?”

“Oh, right. No. I’m okay. You do what you need to do, and I’ll see you in a few.”

“ _ Okay _ .” Theo paused. “ _ Hey, Liam? _ ”

“Yeah?”

“ _ Thanks for calling _ .”

“Don’t thank me for not being an asshole, dude,” Liam grumbled. “But you’re welcome. Also before you go, Theo?”

“ _ Yeah _ ?”

“Be careful on your way to school today. It’s not just witches out there.” 

“ _ Um, okay. See you soon. _ ” 

Liam hung up with a soft smile playing on his lips. He didn’t know why he had such a strong feeling of deja vu, but the lack of breakfast and the long walk to school would be worth it when he finally got to hold Theo in his arms and apologize once and for all. 

This thought carried him all the way through the same morning routine he went through the day and all the way to Theo’s locker where the wrong grumpy chimera was waiting. Corey’s brow furrowed as he looked down at Liam’s hoodie, the same one he picked up in his dream. 

“What do you want?”

“This is uncomfortably familiar,” Liam muttered. “Look, I just want to talk to Theo. I spoke with him this morning, and I want to make sure the message was received.”

“You called him?” Corey asked, warily. Liam glared. “Well, did he say what time he was planning on showing up? He’s usually here before any of us because…”

“He likes to take a shower before everyone gets here,” Liam finished. Corey raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when Liam cut him off. “His truck? Is it here?” 

“No. His truck isn’t here, and I searched all over. He’s not here either.” 

“Corey, I need you to drive me to where you guys parked on Thursday.” 

“You mean last night?”

“Yes, last night, whatever. I need you to take me in your car to where you left Theo last night.”

“What’s going on?” 

“Theo needs us! Let’s go!” Liam yelled, pushing Corey towards the exit. 

He wasn’t at all surprised when they ended up with Alec, Nolan, and Mason tagging along. If things were following the dream he had, then he was going to need all the help he could get. He didn’t mind the extra hands at all. 

After a taut fifteen minutes, they pulled to a stop in a clearing not far from where they found Theo in his dream. He didn’t understand how this was all so similar to his dream, but he didn’t care. He just had to get to Theo. He smelt wolfsbane, gunpowder, blood, and fear. It was the last one that gave him the strength to push through his fatigue and barrel straight into the hunter that was about to shoot an already fallen Theo. Mason and Corey were on the man immediately tying him up with a rope they pulled from... somewhere. He really wasn't going to ask where or why. Alec was calling Chris while Nolan kept an eye for anyone else that might pop up. That left Liam to help Theo  still hunched on the ground. The chimera lowered his arms and squinted in surprise at Liam standing over him. 

“You’re late,” Liam quipped, holding a hand out to him. Theo took it and allowed Liam to pull him to his feet. Liam looked him over for the visible wounds. There was a gash on his forehead that was definitely poisoned. Some rips on his shirt that could’ve been from a knife or a gun. He looked exhausted and dirty from fighting for his life. But he was alive. He was here and he was alive. Liam didn’t realize how important those two things were until whatever it was that happened to him the day before. “You okay?”

Theo nodded slowly, his eyes drifting over the clearing his car was parked in. There were several unconscious hunters scattered around. Corey, Mason, and Nolan were slowly checking on them. Corey definitely kicked one of them in an apparent effort to check if they were living. Liam shook his head but only because he wished he could do the same. Theo tensed slightly when he caught where Liam’s gaze was lingering and got the wrong idea. 

“They’re not dead. I promise. I just knocked them out,” Theo blurted. “After we talked,  I was getting ready to leave. I was just starting the truck on the way to school when they swarmed me. They had guns. They shot my truck!”

Liam smiled at the most pressing concern for Theo. He poked his finger at one of the many holes on Theo’s shirt. He tried to ignore the smooth skin his fingers were brushing against as he grinned teasingly up at the chimera. “Seems like they shot you too.”

Theo glanced down at his torn shirt and winced. “Yeah, but I’ll heal. My truck…”

“While beautiful, is also just a truck. It can be fixed eventually. We could even get you a new one if it came to that. But what we can’t do is get a new Theo. You, we can’t replace.”

“Why would you even want to,” Theo mumbled and Liam knew he was supposed to pretend he didn’t hear that, the same way he always did when Theo got in his self-deprecating moods. But the dream of holding Theo’s body was still too fresh in his mind. 

Liam cupped the slightly older boy’s face gently, waiting until his eyes slid up to meet Liam’s. “Theo, I know I’m giving off a lot of mixed messages here. But I need you to know that there will never be a time when I don't want you… that I won’t need you.”

“Liam, I…” Theo trailed off as his eyes locked into something just over Liam’s shoulder. 

Liam didn’t have a chance to ask what it was that he saw before they were spinning around. He opened his mouth to ask Theo what the hell was happening when he finally saw. The hunters had backup. A lot of backup. There were at least six men standing way too close to them with weapons drawn and aimed at the two boys. Liam’s eyes widened as he figured out what Theo already understood all too late: only one of them was walking away from this and Theo had already decided it was going to be Liam. 

The beta howled as the hunters fired their weapons. He felt Theo slump in his grip even as Corey and Alec appeared behind them. But it was too late. Liam sank to the ground with the injured chimera in his lap. Black blood was trickling from his lips as he struggled to pull air into damaged lungs. His body already felt weightless in Liam’s grasp. Almost like he was already fading away. 

“No, no, no,” Liam cried, his fingers fluttering over Theo’s body trying to find some way to help. He placed his hand on Theo's neck, trying in vain to draw the pain and trigger his healing. He grimaced as he felt the pain flowing through him but it wasn’t working. There was so much damage. Theo’s body blurred through the tears in Liam’s eyes. “Why? Why would you do that? Why did you take the hit?”

“Because you’re… you. How could I not?” Theo gurgled around the blood that was choking him. 

Liam didn’t fight the tears clouding his vision as he gazed down at the boy on his lap. Black veins were traveling up his arms but he knew Theo was still in pain. Nothing was working. 

“Theo, you have to heal.”

“I’m trying,” Theo gasped and then sobbed. “I’m trying… I’m so tired.”

Liam’s heart clenched. “I know, love. I know. I’m so sorry. You… I haven’t been a good friend. And I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve this.”

Theo smiled weakly, his teeth stained black. “This is… better than before.”

Liam let out a low whine. That Theo even had a first death experience to compare this one too was heartbreaking. But at least this time Liam was there. He could comfort him. He could hold him and take the pain as best he could. He cradled him closer, burying his face in the soft hair that he always wanted to touch. He felt Theo’s nose brush against his neck. 

“It’s okay, Little Wolf,” Theo whispered. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

Liam looked down to see that the black veins had disappeared. He met Theo’s eyes and saw the light, the spark that made them so deliciously Theo, was dimming. The wounds continued to bleed and the blackness dripped from Theo’s lips, staining the hoodie that Liam had borrowed from him.

“Theo,” Liam said, desperately. He didn’t know what he was asking for here. But he needed to ask. He needed him to hold on. 

“It’s okay,” Theo replied faintly. “Just gonna close my eyes for a minute.”

Liam nodded, blinking away the tears that were making their way steadily down his cheeks. He kissed Theo’s forehead and blinked again. 

“Okay, love. I’ll be here.”

“Say that again,” Theo murmured, the words running together in his exhaustion. 

“What part?” Liam would give him anything if he asked for it at this point.”

“Love…”

Liam’s eyes widened as the weak heartbeat finally disappeared. No air shifted in the lungs beneath his hands. He was gone. Theo was gone. Again. He didn’t look away from the peaceful face in his arms even as the rest of the pack came over to them. He ignored them as Corey yelled, collapsing beside them both. Nolan held onto Alec who was torn between doing the same and ripping the hunters apart. Mason was trying to keep them all together even though he was breaking too. 

Eventually, their backup arrived and Liam was forced to relinquish Theo to the for once not carefully composed Argent. He watched the older man carefully. He knew that Melissa cared deeply for Theo from what he now realized was not a dream but Liam wasn’t sure how Chris Argent felt about the chimera until now. From the gentle way he lifted Theo’s body and placed him in the back of his car to the moment he took to collect himself as he closed the door behind him, it was obvious that it wasn’t just Melissa and Alec pushing the chimera to move in. And Liam knew that Scott had warmed to Theo in the past few months. Theo had a whole family waiting for him but he just didn’t realize. 

Liam followed the rest of the pack and went through the motions of the day. Because none of it mattered. He realized what today meant. It wasn’t deja vu. It wasn’t a dream. It was a time loop. He was doomed to continue watching Theo died over and over. Unless he did something. Unless he changed it. He had to start early. That way he had a chance at actually saving Theo and he was. He was going to save Theo and then smother him with affection until he understood that he was one of the most important people in Liam’s life. He was going to beat this time loop and save Theo. 

* * *

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

Groundhog Day. He was basically living in Groundhog Day. But the stakes were a little more intense because of the stupid hunters. He didn’t know what triggered the time loop but he did know that he was absolutely over Theo dying because of those damn hunters. He glanced at his phone and saw that it was almost fifteen minutes before he called Theo in the previous iteration of this day. Theo told him that the hunters attacked soon after he hung up with Liam. So he has a little over fifteen minutes to get to Theo before the hunters did. 

So keeping that in mind, Liam dressed quickly and ran. He tapped into the desperation and fear of this being the time he lost Theo for real. He made a trip that took around fifteen minutes in less than eight. It took him another two minutes to find the spot without Corey but soon he was standing in front of Theo’s truck watching the chimera curled up on the back seat. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe that Theo was sleeping in his car because why would anyone lie about that. But it was heartbreaking to actually see it for himself. He had a small pillow under his head a thin blanket covering him. Though it was warmer now, last night was cool. That blanket looked like it did little to protect against the elements. That explained the restless shifting Theo was doing in his sleep. Liam sighed and knocked on the window. 

He knew from experience that Theo was a light sleeper but he wasn’t expecting such a quick reaction. One minute he was sleeping fitfully and the next he was springing up and half blindly crawling to the driver’s seat and promising to move. Liam felt that familiar pit in his stomach as he remembered Mason’s words about it being secluded enough for him to maybe sleep. How many times had he been abruptly awoken like this? No wonder everyone was so upset when it came to Theo being homeless. Liam really dropped the ball. 

But he was fixing it all now. He rapped his knuckles against the driver side window much more gently. Theo startled away from his panicked attempts to start his car and squinted at Liam. The beta watched as Theo’s brows furrowed as if he was struggling to understand what he was looking at. It was adorable. 

“Liam?” 

And just like last time, hearing that raspy voice triggered something and Liam was pulling the door open and tugging the chimera out the truck and into his arms. Theo went willingly. His confusion making him pliant but still not an active participant in this hug. That’s fine. Liam was engaged enough for both of them. 

“What are you doing out here?”

“I had to talk to you. I was an asshole last night and you didn’t deserve that. You never deserve it. And I’m so so sorry.”

“Oh,” Theo murmured, still not completely awake. “It’s okay?”

Liam chuckled leaning back slightly to look at the no doubt adorable look on the other boy’s face. His hazel eyes were cloudy with evidence of a restless night but he looked beautiful to Liam. He pressed a hand to Theo’s cheek, smiling softly as the chimera leaned into the touch. 

“It’s not okay. I have… a lot to make up for. But I’m going to make it up. I’m going to be better at all of this. Starting right now. Okay?”

“Um, yeah. Sure,” Theo replied breathlessly. 

“Great! Now get in. You can get ready at my place while I make us breakfast.”

Theo’s eyes widened, suddenly completely awake. “Yeah, no thanks, Little Wolf. How about I make us breakfast and then I get ready?”

“You don’t trust me to make us a meal?” Liam asked, voice playful and teasing even as he climbed into the truck. 

Theo snickered and started the engine. “You set the toaster on fire the last time tried you tried to make us a meal. I don’t even understand how! You just put two pieces of bread in and then boom toast. But with you, there's fire!” 

Liam rolled his eyes at the light ribbing but he didn’t mind. One, because Theo was right. But also because he would listen to Theo taking jabs at his life all day if he smiled like that. Liam really loved that smile. 

“What are you looking at?” Theo asked as they started to drive out of the preserve. 

“Nothing,” Liam answered with a shrug. 

As they drove away, he saw several armed to the teeth hunters headed towards where they used to be. Some of them stopped when they noticed their target leaving and Liam couldn’t help but throw up his middle finger. Because he did it. He stopped them from attacking Theo early in the morning and as an added bonus he had a more animated than he had seen him in months chimera sitting beside him. Today was a good day. 

Theo stayed true to his word and he made breakfast which they enjoyed while sharing soft smiles and meaningful looks. Then they separated to get ready for school. Liam left Theo in his room while he showered in his parents' room and tried, unsuccessfully, to think of anything other than the fact that Theo was in his bathroom naked. Yeah, he definitely needed to talk to Theo after practice today. Because pushing him away wasn’t working. So maybe he could let him in. Just a little. They could go back to being friends again and it would be okay. He could be friends with Theo. 

That thought changed rapidly when Theo made his way back downstairs smelling like Liam’s body wash and wearing one of Liam’s looser shirts that stretched over Theo’s muscled back and chest with a pair of jeans and white sneakers. That was so unfair. It’s like Theo knew how to press every single one of Liam’s buttons. Because it seemed almost ridiculous that he looked that good wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans.

“Sorry, I didn’t have a clean shirt. It’s laundry day. So I just borrowed one from you. Hope you don’t mind.”

“No,” Liam replied, his mouth dry. “I definitely don’t mind.”

Theo smirked but it was made softer by the red staining his cheeks. God, he was beautiful. And for some reason he chose Liam. He cared about him. Liam didn’t know what he did to deserve this but he was done hiding from it. He wanted this. He wanted Theo. 

“As a matter of fact,” he started, winking at Theo as he headed to the laundry room. “It’s only fair I wear something of yours.” He picked up the hoodie and slipped it on. Theo swallowed and held his hand out for Liam. Their palms sliding together. Liam was nervous yet excited and utterly delighted that Theo felt the same. 

“We really should get to school.”

“Yeah,” Liam agreed, equally as reluctant to end this moment. He tugged the chimera closer, intertwining their fingers. “We still need to talk later but….”

“Yeah,” Theo murmured before leaning down to meet Liam’s waiting lips. 

The kiss was perfect and not enough at the same time. But it was enough for the moment. It was a promise. A promise that Liam was going to keep his word and stop avoiding Theo, to stop avoiding this in general. They separated with goofy grins that only grew wider when both of their phones went off with messages from Corey and Mason asking them both where they hell they were. They smiled again, pressing soft kisses to whatever skin they could find before making their way to their friends and school. 

Liam would freely admit that sometimes he was an idiot. He was impulsive and his anger made him act out. Add in his insecurities and hang-ups and he routinely acted against his own best interests. He was so worried about losing Theo that he didn’t realize that he was losing him by pushing him away all the time. He didn’t know what he was missing but he knew now and there was no way he was going back to anything other than holding hands with Theo in the hallway on the way to class or pressing each other against lockers with surprise kisses much to the disgust and amusement of their friends. He couldn’t go back to ignoring Theo because he now that he had a taste, it was all he wanted. All he could think about. 

Even now Liam couldn’t stop paying attention to the boy that somehow cared about him sitting in the stands with Alec and Mason while the team practiced. He knew it was bothering Nolan and Corey but he’s dealt with them when they’re in full sap mode. Nolan had a different love interest every three days and Corey and Mason were pretty much at married couple level. But that still uber sappy level of marriage. Liam felt he was entitled to be a little sappy over the guy he loved. Wait… 

He tripped over his own feet as the thought hit him. He knew he loved when Theo smiled at him, the real smile not the smirk. Although he loved those too. He loved when Theo went on one of his mini-rants about the scientific inaccuracies in most modern television shows though he was obsessed with  _ Doctor Who _ . He loved when Theo was around and was miserable when he wasn’t there. Damn, he loved him. He loved everything about the contrary chimera. He looked over at Theo who was laughing at something Mason and Alec were saying. His head was tilted back and the sun was shining behind him. 

“Oh, I think he finally realized,” Corey said, appearing in front of Liam. Nolan moved to stand beside him wearing a matching grin. 

“Shut up,” Liam hissed, trying to look angry and failing miserably. Corey winked. 

“Did you really just figure out that you’re in love with Theo?” 

“Yes,” Liam admitted because he didn’t want to lie about it, especially not to Corey. Especially since they were just getting back on good terms. “Leave me alone. I mean I knew that I liked him but I just never realized it was… that!” 

“Really?” Corey asked, skeptically. “I was eighty percent sure that was the reason you pulled him out of hell. That’s interesting.” 

“Oh, shut up. You’re such….” 

Liam trailed off as his hearing finally picked up on something other than Theo. He had spent so much time distracted by his friend that he hadn’t been paying attention. But they were at school. It was supposed to be safe. But now that he had opened his senses, he knew that it wasn’t. He heard more heartbeats. Heartbeats he was too familiar with after the past repeated days. He also smelt gunpowder. So much gunpowder… 

“Theo!” he yelled, trying to catch the chimera’s attention. 

He didn’t need to. Theo had already clued into the situation and was moving Alec and Mason behind him as he scanned the area. He heard them too but he couldn’t see them. Liam was running towards him and as he got closer he could see the tension in Theo’s muscles as he tried to shield his two friends, who were both squirming away from their protector, and find the source of the threat. And then there was a crack through the air and Theo’s body jolted before abruptly slumping into Alec’s arms who wasn’t prepared to catch the full weight of the chimera. Liam stopped running as he tried to figure out what just happened. 

“No, no, no,” Liam murmured, watching as Alec’s hand were moving frantically over Theo’s body. “No, no, no, no.” Mason was standing in shock, eyes darting wildly around the field with a smear of blood on his face. Theo’s blood. “No, no, no, no!” 

Then Alec howled and all hell broke loose. Liam stood rooted to the ground as Alec roared, completely shifting. Liam always envied the younger wolf. To say that he was even younger than Liam when he was first turned, he had greater control than any of them, save for Scott and Theo. But now, that control was gone. He almost pitied the men that did this. Almost. Because they shot Theo. Again. There was another crack and Alec moved slightly adjusting so that he was out of the direct line of fire, taking the shot to the shoulder. He roared again, charging in the direction of the shot. Several more shots fired after but none of them hit the enraged wolf currently heading their way. Liam could hear them starting to run but that didn’t deter Alec at all. 

Corey growled (again with this?) and chased after Alec with Nolan surprisingly keeping pace with him. That left Liam standing on the field staring at Mason who was still in shock. He had to do something. He had to move. His pack needed him. But he couldn’t…. 

“Theo, wake up,” Mason said, finally falling to his knees next to the body of his friend. “Theo, wake up. Because Alec is in berserker mode and I think that Corey isn’t far behind him and I can’t stop them. None of us can. Only you. So please wake up.” 

Liam pushed his own despair down at the desperation in his best friend’s voice. He jogged over to where Mason was cradling Theo’s body in a hauntingly familiar way. Liam looked like that on the first day. It was the first day all over again. He failed again. Liam’s legs gave out slightly beside Mason. He couldn’t even look at the chimera. Instead, he focused on Mason. 

“Hey,” he murmured, carefully putting a hand on Mason’s shoulder. “Hey, Mase. It's me.” 

“Liam, he’s gone,” Mason choked out. “He’s gone. Just… they shot him.” 

“I know,” Liam bit his lip and tried to keep his grief down. “But I need to check you out. Are you okay?” 

“Huh?” Mason asked, looking up with hazy eyes. Liam’s hand trailed up to feel Mason’s pulse and he wasn’t at all surprised by the sluggish beat slowly pulsing under his fingers. His heart stuttered as he smelled blood. Mason’s blood. 

“Mase, where were you hurt?” 

“I’m not…. they shot Theo,” Mason shook his head. His brow scrunching slightly. “Liam… my stomach hurts.” 

Liam gently moved Theo away from Mason and choked on a sob as he saw the bloodstain spreading across Mason’s stomach. No! Liam wasn’t supposed to lose both of them. He wasn’t supposed to lose any of them! He saved Theo from the hunters. They were at school. The school was supposed to be safe. But it wasn’t. 

“Li, I don’t feel so good.” 

“I know,” Liam said, swallowing. He wrapped his arm around Mason and tugged him closer to him. Theo was still resting between them. “But I’m going to fix this. I know what I have to do now. I get it. I’m going to save you both. I promise.” 

“Okay,” Mason mumbled, he rested his head on Liam’s shoulder and exhaled slowly. He didn’t take another breath. 

Liam trembled, holding the two people who meant the most to him in this world in his arms. The loop was hard enough when it was just Theo but now Mason. He wanted it to be over but not yet. He needed another chance. He was going to take care of hunters and eliminate the threat. And if he couldn’t stop them the peaceful way, he would rip them apart with his bare claws. 

* * *

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

Liam was ready. Unlike the previous two days, he woke up with a certainty in his step. He thought it would be enough to save Theo from the hunters. But now he knew better. Now he had to neutralize the threat entirely. And for that, he needed to bring out the big guns. He had been thinking too small the first two times and that was his mistake. One he wouldn’t be making again. No, this time, he was going to remember that he was part of a pack that didn’t just include teenagers. It also included a hunter and a hellhound who also happened to be a deputy. They also blissfully didn’t ask a lot of questions. 

When he called them both and asked them to meet him at the preserve because Theo was in danger, they both questioned how he knew but also agreed to meet up. He was really grateful. And he was also running behind. Even the ten minutes those phone calls took was ten minutes that Theo didn’t have. He was just tying his shoes to make the run to the preserve when a car pulled up outside. He knew his face must have been expressing some complicated form of emotions as Argent laughed and gestured towards the passenger side. Liam got in without complaint. 

“I figured it would be better to ride together. I’m not like Jordan. I don’t have supernatural death omen senses that lead me to danger. I have instincts. And my instincts said to grab you.” Liam grinned. He knew he liked Argent for a reason. 

By the time they made it to the preserve, Theo was already on the losing end of the fight. But he was still putting up a fight, not that Liam thought he would be doing any differently. But he was fading fast and Liam wasn’t about to let that happen. So while Argent and the newly arrived Parrish and the sheriff handled the hunters, Liam took care of Theo. 

“Liam? What? What are you doing here?” Theo asked, adorably confused. Liam wanted nothing more than to kiss him in that moment but that was yesterday’s Theo and today’s Theo was most likely still remembering Liam’s harsh words from the night before. So no, no kisses. But still… hugs were safe. He tugged him forward, wrapping his arms around the trembling form. So close. It was so damn close. “Li?”

“What’s it look like, Big Bad? I’m playing knight in shining converse.”

Theo laughed softly, his arms finally catching on to what was happening and returning the hug just as tightly. “My big damn hero.”

Liam pulled away to meet Theo’s weary gaze. “Always. I’m so sorry about last night.”

“I know,” Theo said, giving Liam one of his real smiles. “I listen to things other than your angry snarls, you know?”

“Like what?”

“Your heartbeat. And you always smell guilty when you say those things.”

Well, that explained why Theo was always so willing to forgive him. He should’ve known. He cupped Theo’s cheek, wincing as black traveled from the chimera up his arm. 

“Something you neglected to mention, dearest?”

“Ouch,” Theo retorted, with a slight smirk. 

Liam snickered, guiding Theo’s arm around his shoulder as they made their way to Argent’s car. Parrish and the Sheriff were reading the rights of the hunters and calling for backup and more handcuffs. The cells were going to be busy tonight. 

“You doing okay, kiddo?” Argent asked, leaning against the side of his car. Theo offered him a wan smile. Argent returned it before looking serious. “You know you can’t keep doing this.”

“It’s fine,” Theo protested. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, because Liam had a hunch or something. If he hadn’t, who knows what would’ve happened. You would probably be out here dead until one of us came looking for you.”

Liam shivered because it was just a little too close to the truth for him. Theo gave him a look but Liam shook his head. That was for another time. Theo nodded, turning back to Argent. 

“It’s complicated, okay?”

“It’s really not,” Argent pointed out. “You need a place to live and we have a place for you to live. It’s actually the least complicated concept in your lives right now.”

Liam had to give it to him there. But Theo was nothing if not stubborn. And Liam knew he wasn’t backing down. Not yet. But Argent was right. He just didn’t know how right. Theo could’ve died simply because he was parked for the night where the hunters could find him. This could happen again. He saved him today but what about the next time when he wasn’t living in a time loop. Liam unconsciously tightened his arm around Theo’s waist which ended up being the right move as Theo chose that moment to sag against him completely boneless. 

“Looks like it’s past time to get him to Deaton,” Argent said, opening the door and helping Liam ease his precious cargo inside before running around to the driver's side and taking off. 

Liam sat in the back with Theo curled up on his lap. He knew they got to him in time. He was a little banged up. He knew this in his heart. He knew that they all had survived worse poisoning than this before. But halfway to the clinic, Theo had fallen completely unconscious and it was too similar to all the days before where Liam held him as he died or was dead. He couldn’t help the anxiety. He knew it wouldn’t be okay until he heard the words… 

“He’s going to be okay,” Deaton assured him less than an hour later. Argent stuck around for a while but the need to hurt the one who hurt someone he cared about won out and he left to exact revenge on the hunters sitting in a jail cell. The fact that the Sheriff let him in spoke volumes to how done with this situation they all were. Liam didn’t even bother to protest when the pissed off former hunter left. He just made sure to text him and Melissa periodic updates on Theo’s condition. 

“He’s not in any more danger, right?”

“Are any of you ever not in danger?” Deaton asked in that enigmatic way that normally amused Liam (if only for the way it irritated both Stiles and Theo) but he watched the boy he loved die three times with that added bonus of his best friend the day before. He had no time for enigmas. Deaton must have sensed that with his otherworldly way. Or more likely he saw the resting bitch face Liam was rocking and decided it was time to move on.

“Right, well he was beaten and had quite a few wounds. But they’ve all been treated. He needs rest and in an actual bed. I have him set up on a cot in the back room and I’m fully inclined to leave him there for as long as he needs to completely heal. You’re free to stay with him if you want.” 

“Oh, yeah, I definitely want.”

Deaton smiled and nodded with his head towards the room where Theo was resting. He walked in quietly, knowing just how light a sleeper Theo was but apparently fighting and healing had taken its toll and he was deeply unconscious. Liam sat gently in the rolling chair by the cot and watched his sleeping friend. It was the first time he had actually taken the time to study Theo and he found that he couldn’t take his eyes off of the other boy. And really who could blame him?

Theo was unfairly pretty. It was kind of funny if he really thought about it. He knew the chimera was tough. To say he wasn’t supernatural, he was probably the strongest of them all. And not just in a physical sense. Theo was strong on so many levels. You had to be to survive the kind of childhood he had and not come out a total sociopath. Though he liked to joke that he was a reformed sociopath, Liam didn’t see it. Theo was forced to stop caring. Forced to repress his emotions and humanity in order to survive. But now it was turned back on and he cared so damn much about everything and pretty much everyone. So he was strong and he was also vulnerable. There was softness that he only let a few people see. It tempered the rougher edges. It made him beautiful. 

He didn’t know how long he sat there, studying every plane of Theo’s face and memorizing all the angles. The way his dark eyelashes contrasted against the paleness of his skin. The way his soft pink lips were parted softly as he breathed. It was all a mesmerizing picture and Liam was lost. One moment he was watching the way the sunlight cast shadows off those too long eyelashes and then the next Theo’s eyes were open and looking at him. The hazel orbs were mostly green in the soft light of the room. Liam loved his eyes the most when they were that shade. 

“Stop being a creep,” Theo murmured, reaching his hand towards Liam. The beta laced their fingers together and smiled down at the older teen. He pulled their joined hands into his lap after placing a gentle kiss on Theo’s knuckles. 

“But you’re so pretty when you’re sleeping,” Liam replied in the same quiet tone. “Actually you’re unfairly pretty all the time but you know what I mean.”

“You’re so weird,” Theo said, shaking his head with a light flush staining his cheeks. He blinked slowly, still obviously drowsier than normal. “You okay?”

Liam brushed his free hand across Theo’s cheek. “I was so scared today,” he confessed. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I thought… my biggest fear is losing you with you thinking I don’t care. I’m so sorry I said what I said.”

“I told you that I knew you were lying. I always know.”

Liam raised their joined hands and kissed Theo’s knuckles. “That doesn’t make it right. It’s not okay for me to talk to you that way at all. But I’m going to be better. I’m going to be the friend you deserve.”

“Just the  _ friend _ I deserve?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. He somehow managed to look both cocky and scared. Liam loved that face more than he ever thought possible. 

Liam grinned, lifting their hands and placing it over his heart. “Correction, I’m going to be the person you deserve in all aspects but definitely more than just friends. Better?”

“Better,” Theo agreed, before yawning. 

“Get some more sleep. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Theo blinked at him sleepily and smiled. He shifted over on the cot and tugged at Liam’s hand. “Come here.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Liam sat on the edge of the cot and then lay down, smiling as the comforting weight of Theo settled on his chest. This felt right. Liam wrapped an arm around him, resting his hand on Theo’s back under the thin shirt that Deaton had given him to change into. He rubbed soothing circles onto the skin there and smiled as Theo’s nose rubbed against his neck in response. He didn’t need to look to know Theo was smiling. He could feel it pressed against his skin. Liam could feel a smile of his own stretching across his lips. Eventually, the chimera’s breathing evened out and he was sleeping once again. 

Though they had always been tactile, especially with each other, cuddling was something new. Something special. Theo was always bigger than life but the way he fit himself into Liam’s arms was perfect. It was like their bodies were puzzle pieces looking for the missing part. He never wanted to let this go. He never wanted to take it for granted again. 

Despite wanting to stay awake to make sure that the day didn’t reset on him, Liam found himself drifting. It was almost like his mind and body remembered the stresses from the earlier days but it was most likely because of the cuddly coyote-wolf on his chest. Either way, Liam was only dimly aware of closing his eyes for just a second before his phone chiming loudly in his pocket woke him up three hours later. 

Careful not to dislodge the still sleeping Theo, Liam reached into his pocket to silence his phone. He glanced at the screen to see several messages from Corey and one from Mason ordering him to answer Corey. He grinned and selected the text thread. It seems the day played out as it always did but this time Liam wasn’t there to talk to Corey. So now the other chimera was at a loss as to where his friends were and he was getting annoyed. 

‘ **_Relax. We’re fine. Theo had trouble with hunters. Went to get him. He’s good now._ ** ’

Liam snapped a selfie of Theo’s head buried in his neck with him smiling wolfishly. He already knew that it would set both of his gossiping friends off and any minute now he would have to deal with Alec giving him the shovel talk. He smiled resting his head against Theo’s hair for a moment. A year ago, the idea of Theo being this close would’ve repulsed him. Okay, maybe not but he would’ve felt really guilty about it. And not just because of Hayden. Now he was snuggling and anticipating getting threatened not to hurt him. Theo had people that cared enough about him to threaten his boyfriend for him. Wait, he had Argent and Melissa. Neither of them was averse to using weapons. He glanced down at Theo. Worth it. 

Unfortunately, his bladder didn’t get the memo that it was snuggle time. He tried to ignore it for as long as possible but unfortunately, within twenty minutes he felt like he was going to burst if he didn’t move soon. It took another three minutes to untangle himself from the chimera octopus and then finally he made it to the bathroom. He was washing his hands when he felt a warm weight settle against his back. He looked up at the mirror to see Theo slumped against him. 

“You okay?” Liam asked as he turned around to fully support Theo. He grinned as the were-octopus struck again. His arms winding around Liam’s shoulders and head buried in the crook of his neck. Liam loved a lot of things about Theo but his being a secret cuddler was rapidly rising to the top of the list. “Theo?”

“Mmm, I’m okay. Still sleepy but my mouth tastes like ass,” Theo whined against Liam’s skin. Liam chuckled, swaying them slightly. His eyes landed on an electric toothbrush. He gently turned Theo’s head in the direction of the toothbrush. “Gross, how long has that thing been here? Who does it even belong to?” 

“Beggars can’t be choosers here. You’re the one whining about having ass breath,” Liam retorted. “But I’m willing to test your theory for you.” 

“Was that… is that your idea of a pickup line?!” Theo exclaimed, managing to look scandalized and amused at the same time. 

“You love it,” Liam countered. Theo’s eyes softened. 

“Yeah, I do.” 

Liam swallowed. “If you really feel that strongly about your breath, I suggest you brush now because it’s taking everything I have not to kiss you right now.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

Theo leaned forward and Liam felt himself gravitating towards him. His eyes fluttered shut in anticipation of getting to kiss him again when he felt those lips press against the corner of his mouth. Liam’s eyes opened and he looked into Theo’s grinning face. The hazel sparking with mischief and an open smile on his face. So stupidly beautiful. 

“Nope! Patience, Little Wolf. I want our first kiss to be perfect.” 

Liam was half tempted to tell him that this would be far from their first kiss. Maybe like the twentieth give or take a few dozen. He only had a few short hours with him that last day but he spent it the best way he knew how. Kissing Theo should be classified as an addiction, one he would happily never overcome. He was going to argue but his phone buzzed again. This time it was Mason. 

“Fine, saved by the bell. But you better be ready when I’m done!”

“Patience yields focus!”

“Focus my ass!” Liam retorted while answering the call. 

“ _ Why are we talking about your ass? And what happened with Theo and hunters? Is he okay? Are you okay?! Why didn’t you call us?! Can I make that picture of you two my background? Are you and Theo together now? Did you finally pull your head out of your ass?! _ ”

“Mase! Slow down!” Liam laughed over the sound of his best friend’s excited rambling. “In what order would you like me to answer those questions?”

“ _ At the beginning! How did you go from yelling at Theo last night to being boyfriends and snuggling with him in less than a day?! _ ”

Liam snickered. He had no idea. “It’s a long story and we’re not officially together.”

Theo’s head appeared around the wall with the toothbrush still in hand and a pointedly raised eyebrow. Liam arched a brow in response. “It’s not official til we kiss.”

“What kind of dumbass fairytale bullshit rule is that?!” Theo protested. “Fine! Give me a minute. I just found the stupid cord to plug this thing in. How old is this shit?!”

“It’s a toothbrush! Plug it in and bring that fine ass out here,” Liam called back. 

“ _ Well, I see you two are okay _ .”

“Better than. Mase, you were right. I was being such an ass. We’re okay. I… yeah.”

“ _ Oh, you finally clued into what everyone but you knew? _ ”

“It costs exactly nothing to shut up.”

“ _ It costs the same to kiss the boy you’re in  bisexual love with. _ ”

“You know I hate you, right?”

“ _ You love me. _ ”

Liam had a flash of Mason in his arms dying slowly. “Yeah, I do. I love you, Mase.”

“ _Aw, I love you too, sappy wolf_ __._ Now go be sappy with your boyfriend. _ ”

“I…” Liam trailed off as the lights in the clinic flickered. His brow furrowed. And then silence reigned. He didn’t know he was tracking Theo’s heartbeat until suddenly it wasn’t there. “I have to go.”

Liam hung up, fully aware he was being rude. But no. He was not here for this. Because he did what he was supposed to do. He saved Theo from the hunters. This was supposed to be over. 

He shuffled to the bathroom and was both surprised and annoyed to see the twitching but still dead body on the floor. Because really?! He saved him from hunters and this asshole had the nerve, the utter damn gall to die anyway. Like he didn’t know what Liam had suffered through. 

Liam sighed and sank to the floor next to Theo’s body just waiting for the day to reset. Because he refused to believe that this was it. The day had to reset. It couldn’t end like this. It couldn’t….

* * *

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

When Liam woke on what would be the fifth version of this cursed day, he had a brief moment where he contemplated not moving at all. Because why should he? Clearly, nothing he was doing was good enough to save Theo. He thought it was the hunters but it wasn’t. It was a toothbrush! A freaking toothbrush. 

But quitting also wasn’t in his nature. Especially quitting when it came to someone as important as Theo. It might not have been the hunters this last time but they were still a threat. He couldn’t let that happen. Not again. He didn’t want Theo to die alone in the woods again. 

So he made the same calls from the day before. He got a ride with Argent. He cuddled with a healing Theo. He threw that damned toothbrush in the garbage before Theo could even consider using it. He kissed him like he’s wanted to do since that third day. Like he’s wanted to do since the night he and Stiles followed the then shady chimera out in the woods. They cuddled some more until Theo was mostly healed before making plans to meet with the rest of the pack at a cafe that Nolan insisted they try out. Deaton gave them the all clear and insisted that food and pack would probably heal Theo better than any further bed rest. But Melissa called to point out that he would be getting that too.

On their way out the door, Deaton called Liam back for a second. Theo was on the phone reassuring Melissa that he was fine. He promised and would likely crash at her place that night since his truck was in the shop. Liam smiled to himself knowing his truck would likely to be in the shop for a lot longer than it needed to be. 

Theo walked outside to continue his phone call while Liam talked to Deaton. The vet was midway through impressing upon him the importance of Theo living somewhere other than a truck when Liam winced at the sound of brakes squealing loudly just outside the clinic. He rubbed one particularly sore ear as several thudding noises caught his attention as well. Then there was silence. He had been tracking Theo’s heartbeat and amused yet fond voice as he talked to Melissa. But now they were both gone.  He couldn’t tell you why he did it later but he walked outside the clinic to see a car with a dented fender parked haphazardly while a frantic teenage boy was shaking an unconscious (dead, he was dead) Theo in an effort to rouse him. 

Liam shook his head slowly and turned to walk back into the clinic. He heard Melissa’s voice coming from Theo’s fallen phone. He heard the increasingly more shrill cries from the driver. He heard Deaton calling to him as he passed the vet by. But Liam ignored them all. What else was there to say? He went straight to the back, to the bed he laid with Theo not twenty minutes before and curled up, ready for the day to restart itself again. 

* * *

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

They got the furthest that day. He called Argent, the Sheriff and Parrish. He got a ride from Argent. He saved Theo. They talked, Theo healed and they flirted but Liam wouldn’t let it go past that. He couldn’t risk it. They left the clinic, missing the reckless driver by a few minutes. They made it to the cafe with the rest of the pack. As soon as they were settled at their table under a large and questionably safe looking air conditioner, Corey and Alec were fawning over Theo. Liam grinned as the chimera kept shoving them away only for them to come right back. Meanwhile, Mason kept shooting him these ridiculous looks that he knew meant they needed to talk. 

So Liam got up with the idea of ordering one of Theo’s ridiculously sweet and pretentious drinks that he loved to pretend he didn’t enjoy but the slight flush to his cheeks whenever he was presented with diabetes in a cup he loved so much said otherwise. And Liam, even at the height of his denial of his feelings towards Theo, couldn’t deny how much he loved that smile. How much he would do anything to see that smile. And that included buying a rip-off of the unicorn frappe. He was already whipped and he loved it. 

“So you and Theo?” Mason asked, his voice carried a hint of teasing but he was serious. Liam didn’t know when his best friend put himself firmly on Theo’s side but he loved it. Because Theo needed people on his side. 

“I’m not denying it anymore,” Liam admitted. “But he almost died this morning. I’m going to wait til tomorrow before we talk about anything more.”

“I’m happy for you,” Mason said. “You deserve happiness. You both do.”

“Yeah, we…” 

A thunderous noise cracked the peaceful air in the cafe. It sounded like metal grating against metal and then a heavy crash. Screams and panicked cries followed. Screams he recognized all too well. He hated that he knew what Nolan sounded like when he was grieving but he was there that night in the hospital when Gabe died. He remembered the horrified cry he let out when he realized that the other hunter was gone. 

He followed Mason numbly back to the area where they left their friends. The table was demolished. Nolan and Alec were the only visible people at the table that now had the giant air conditioner resting on it. Liam heard Mason wail as he figured out that their chimeras were likely under the destruction. Liam sat down heavily at the nearest table to him. This was getting exhausting. 

* * *

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby I'm your man

 

He does it all again only this time as soon as Deaton says Theo is okay, Liam calls Chris who is all too eager to have Theo at home where they can all keep an eye on him. So they retreat to Theo’s room at the McCall house where they spend most of the day cuddled together on the bed binge watching  _ Boy Meets World _ on Hulu. It’s a perfect day and Liam actually lets his guard down. Letting the peace and calm of being this close to his alpha’s scent lull him into a false sense of security. 

He said false because after Liam had managed to keep Theo in bed for well over five hours, going so far as to feed him so he didn’t find a way to hurt himself, the chimera announced that he had to pee. And even though it would be fun to explore that level of intimacy together one day, this wasn’t that day. So he was allowed to extricate himself from Liam’s embrace and go to the bathroom. Alone. Though Liam admits to listening idly in case something happened. 

Theo was just coming back when he stopped by the window for a minute. Liam was still lying on the bed, blinking at him sleepily. 

“What?”

“Nothing,” Theo muttered, that faint blush rising in his cheeks. “Just… you look nice. Like that. There. You look… nice.”

“Oh,” Liam murmured. He tilted his head to the side, observing the unusually shy chimera. “Well, you look… nice too.”

“Shut up, dork.”

“Make me,” Liam said, raising an eyebrow and beckoning him forward with his hand. 

Theo’s lips tilted up in a classic example of challenge accepted and started to move towards him with a hungry look in his eyes. In that moment, Liam forgot everything except the boy slinking towards him. That is until a bullet broke through the window and into Theo’s neck.

He collapsed to the floor, convulsing as the artery that was hit continued to spurt blood all over the room. Liam gaped for a brief moment before dropping to his knees beside him. He knew it was pointless but he couldn’t let Theo suffer if he could help it. So he held him, black veins running from the chimera to him as he took the pain and he tried to keep him from bleeding out. Theo died within minutes with a soft smile on his face. 

Later, Liam would learn that Chris was cleaning his weapons and a wolfsbane laced bullet was still in the chamber despite him never leaving any weapons armed, especially the wolfsbane ones. Especially around a place where teenagers who super sensitive to wolfsbane lived and visited frequently. The man was so distraught that Liam was almost tempted to tell him about the day repeating and how this would mean nothing but he didn’t. He was scared honestly. 

What if he told and this time it was real? What if he woke up in the morning and Theo was really gone? He couldn’t risk it. No, he knew what to do. Apparently even home wasn’t safe. So he knew what he had to do. He would fix this for good. 

* * *

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

Liam did not fix it for good. He had the brilliant idea that since even home wasn’t safe, he should take Theo back to the preserve. It was a solid idea… until a black bear appeared and ripped Theo apart while Liam was powerless to stop it. So clearly the problem was Liam. Maybe that was the answer. Instead of trying to save Theo maybe he should send someone else. That had to be it. 

* * *

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby I'm your man

 

That wasn’t it. It took a scary amount of convincing and lying but Liam got Corey to go to the preserve and retrieve Theo himself. They died in a car accident (no doubt the hunters) on the way to school. And Liam was back to square one. Because it didn’t seem to matter what he did or even  _ how _ he did it, Theo was destined to die. 

* * *

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby I'm your man

 

He wasn’t proud of this day. At all. 

His anger was at an all time high. And the one person who could reign him in was the one person that was setting it off in the first place. This wasn’t fair. Theo paid his penance. He wasn’t even 18 years old yet! He already paid for his sins and he made up for them everyday. But the world was determined to make him suffer every day. To kill him in what had to what were increasingly more insane ways. 

Liam was trying to reign in the anger but he couldn’t. It was so unfair. The rage kept creeping out and no amount of comforting words from Theo or any of the others could crack through. And then something happened, he couldn’t even tell you what it was, but it was something. It caused him to lash out in a blind rage. 

He didn’t even realize he hit someone until he heard several gasps around him followed by the stench of blood. No matter what happens in life, Liam knows he will never forget the sight of Theo impaled through the chest by Liam’s own clawed hand. The worst part was the utter forgiveness and love on his face as slowly slipped away. That was the hardest part of it all. 

* * *

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby I'm your man

 

“ _ Liam? Are you okay? It’s early _ .”

“I know. I just… Theo, I’m sorry.”

“ _ Li _ ?” Rustling sounds came from the other end. He could almost envision Theo sitting up in the backseat, sleepily rubbing his eyes in confusion. “ _ You sound weird. Are you okay? _ ”

“No,” Liam laughed, a little hysterically. “I am not okay, Theo. Not even a little bit. Because I’ve watched you die every day for the past ten days and I can’t do it anymore. It’s all fucked up.”

“ _ Liam, what are you talking…? You’re stuck in a time loop? Like in  _ Supernatural _? _ ”

“Of course, you believe me,” Liam shook his head. “You’re freaking perfect. Of course you would believe this. Believe me.”

“ _ I’m not perfect. _ ”

“Yes, you are,” Liam argued. “You made your mistakes. A lot of them. But you’ve dedicated most of your time since then trying to make up for mistakes you made as a child. You’re an amazing person, Theo Raeken. And I’m so happy I get to know you.”

“ _ You’re amazing too, Liam Dunbar. But you’re kind of scaring me a lot, Little Wolf. Where are you _ ?”

“I’m okay. I’m just sitting on the roof.”

“ _ The… roof?! Liam, get down. I’m on my way. Just please come down _ .”

He heard Theo scrambling to the front seat and starting the car. He knew that Theo would be at his house in no time. He knew the chimera would race up to the roof, ready and willing to solve all of Liam’s problems because that’s what he always did. But this time Theo was the one with the problem. Theo was the one destined to die unless Liam found a way to fix it. And he tried everything. Everything except for one thing. 

“ _ I’m on my way. We can talk about this, okay? Just… please? _ ”

“Theo, do you know what it’s like to watch someone you love about die over and over again? Because I do. And I can’t save you. I’ve tried. But I didn’t try this.”

“ _ Liam, no! Please? Li, we can fix this. We can stop the time loop. There’s nothing this pack can’t do when we’re together. You taught me that _ .”

“Nothing except save you,” Liam sniffled. “I have to try this. I have to… I can’t watch you die again, Theo.”

“ _ You don’t have to do this! _ ” Theo yelled, clearly slamming his hand on the steering wheel. “ _ Wait… Liam? Where are you?! I’m here and I don’t see you. _ ”

Liam blinked his watery eyes. “I never said I was at home.” He took a deep breath and stepped closer to the ledge of the school roof. “No matter what happens… if this ends the loop or not, I just need you to know that I love you. I love you, Theo.”

He heard a choked sob on the other end of the connection. The only thing Liam wanted more in that moment than hugging his chimera until the pain stopped was to have him live to see tomorrow. And if there was even a slight possibility that his death could be the thing to make that happen then Liam wasn’t taking chances. He would let this happen. Because Theo meant everything to him. Everything. He was worth this. 

“ _ Liam… please? I love you too. Where are you? I can fix this. I can. I love you. We can fix this. Just please, baby. _ ”

“Goodbye, Theo.” 

He let the phone slip from his fingers even as he stepped from the ledge. As he fell, he hoped this would be the end. That Theo would forgive him one day. That his family would forgive him but he couldn’t let Theo die again. This was for the best…. 

* * *

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby I'm your man

 

Liam woke up and sobbed. And somewhere Theo still died. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a PSA: this will have a happy ending. I swear.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Liam finally sees an end to this loop and gets his happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I genuinely wasn't going to update this for a couple of days but my roommate encouraged me (okay, he called me evil several times) to do it and here we are. 
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank everyone who kudo'd and bookmarked this tale of woe. And thank you to my loyal commenters. You don't know how much you made my day. Thank you so much.

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

  
  


He knew Scott might not approve, but after almost twenty days of watching Theo die in increasingly more ridiculous ways, Liam was pretty much done. He was overdue a break. He has examined this from every angle. He tried to account for every variable, but every day something new came up to take Theo out. Yesterday it was a freaking piano. Like what the actual hell?!

There didn’t seem to be any kind of pattern that he could understand. The only constant was that Theo died. If Liam died, the day automatically reset. But no matter what he tried, Theo died. Every time. Without exception. Sometimes one or two of the pack would die with him. But the only constant was that Theo died every day, and Liam was powerless to stop it. And he was exhausted. 

And so that’s why on the morning of what would be the twenty-first time of watching Theo die, Liam decided (also for the first time) to just do nothing. Clearly, all of his attempts at saving him were failures. So maybe there was something to be said about just doing nothing. 

So instead of running out the house, he stayed curled up in his bed, trying to forget the way Theo looked as he died slowly in his arms. He tried to forget his last breaths. He tried to forget how many times Theo died with reassuring, comforting words for Liam on his lips. But he couldn’t forget any more than he could forget what it felt like to kiss Theo. What it felt like to hold him in his arms and wake up still holding him. 

He was halfway through another episode of  _ Boy Meets World _ when his phone started ringing. A glance at the time proved what he already knew. The day was in motion, and it was only a little longer until it reset. He just had to pretend like everything was okay for a little longer, and he could go back to trying to save Theo tomorrow. 

His resolution to just ignore the day and the world, in general, came to an abrupt and violent end when his front door crashed open. Liam scrambled to his feet even as the person who gracefully kicked his damn door in moved over to him with a supernatural quickness. He had only a moment to register the scent of iron, sunshine and surprisingly blood before his nose blossomed in pain that was quickly followed by more pain. 

“Corey, no! It’s not his fault!”

“Of course it is!” A voice that sounded like Corey but different growled in response. Like an actual growl. Liam shoved the person off him and startled at the glowing golden eyes glaring back him from a face covered in fur and fangs. 

“Corey?!”

The only remaining chimera rolled his eyes, standing up and letting whatever shift he had melted away. Mason was standing on the sidelines itching to run to someone but not sure what side to take here. Liam knew the feeling. 

“I told you he wasn’t dead. I told you he would be fine!” Corey hissed, talking to Mason. “While Theo was dying alone in the woods, Liam, our beloved alpha, was here watching  _ Boy Meets World _ . Classic.”

“He died alone?”

“Don’t pretend to care now,” Corey muttered. “You certainly didn’t care last night.”

“I don’t care?! You think I don’t care?!” Liam yelled, rising to his feet and shoving the other boy. “I have watched Theo die every day! Every day! I don’t even remember what I said to him the night we found the witch because for you it was last night. For me, it was damn near a month ago! Almost a month of me watching Theo die and being unable to save him! I couldn’t do it again.”

Liam let out a shaky breath slowly sinking to the floor. He hadn’t meant to say any of that, but the words were there begging to be released. Much like the tears he hadn’t shed since the early days of the loop. He raised his knees to his chest and buried his face there as sobs wracked his body. 

He felt Mason kneel beside him before he was tugged forward into a warm embrace. Even though it was Mason and comforting, it was still a reminder that Theo wasn’t here. Theo was gone again, and in a few short hours, he was going to sleep, start the day all over and lose him yet again. 

“Liam, what do you mean it's almost been a month?” Mason asked, quietly once Liam’s sobs had died down. The beta was curled up on Mason’s lap while Corey hovered above them, his scent giving off conflicting emotions. 

“It means just that,” Liam answered before explaining the past twenty days. “Nothing I do matters. He dies every time. And sometimes one or more of you die with him.”

“Intense,” Mason muttered. He continued to run his fingers through Liam’s hair. “Well is there anything about last night that stood out to you? Well, day zero I guess since you’re at twenty now. Anything that happened with Theo that could’ve triggered this?” 

“No, I’ve replayed it a thousand times. Theo was with us most of the day, so I don’t know when he could’ve got hit with anything that could do this. The only time we were separated was when I acted like a dick when he stopped me from snapping at the witch.”

And that was someone he hadn’t give much thought to in the past few days. She hadn’t reared her annoying head either so at least there was that. He didn’t think he could deal with her and whatever was causing Theo to die every day. 

“Lila!” Mason yelled, dislodging Liam as he rocketed to his feet. Corey held a hand out to Liam to steady him before focusing on the now pacing human. 

“What about the witch?”

“Remember what she said to you? She said you didn’t know her pain. That you didn’t know loss as she did… but you would.”

“Theo isn’t experiencing the time loop,” Corey said slowly picking up on Mason’s train of thought. “It’s you. You’re the one watching Theo die day after day. She cursed you, Liam.”

Liam felt both relieved and stupid at the same time. Relieved because the answer to his day repeating was finally at hand. And stupid because of course his big mouth got him into this. He thought she would do something to him but not that Theo would be the one paying the price. Then again, he technically wasn’t. Day after day, the chimera woke up and died but he never remembered or suffered when the reset happened. It was Liam who carried the memories of watching his love die over and over. 

“She said you didn’t know her pain. But now you know. You know what it’s like to lose…”

“The one I love,” Liam finished. He ignored Corey’s slight surprise. He deserved that. “I know what she feels because I know what it feels like to lose the person you love.”

“Li…” Mason trailed off. 

“I’m such an ass,” Liam moaned, burying his face in his hands. He felt something brush against him and lowered his hands to see Corey offering him a hand of his own. 

“Yeah, you’re an ass. But you’re our ass, I guess,” Corey shrugged, pulling Liam to his feet effortlessly. “So you’re not alone in this.”

“Aw, that was almost sweet,” Mason mocked them. Both Corey and Liam gave him the finger before ignoring his fake cooing. 

“Core, I know you’ve always been strong, but this is a lot… also, your eyes were sorta glowing earlier.”

Corey’s gaze flickered to Mason who nodded. He sighed and paused letting the shift happen. Liam watched fascinated. His fingers were lifting on their own accord to rub against the soft fur covering Corey’s face. The chimera giggled and stepped away. 

“I don’t understand. When did this happen? You haven’t been hiding it that long.”

“A few weeks ago,” Corey answered, fur receding until he was back to normal. “At first it was just the chameleon which was great, but it never made sense. I’m a chimera. Everyone else had two parts. My second part was apparently a late bloomer.”

“So you’re a wolf?”

“Best estimation we have is that I’m a jackal. Theo thinks that’s actually why I was able to see in other words and not the chameleon. Because of the mythology around jackals. He tried to explain it but he went full nerd, and my brain can’t process Theo at his geekiest.”

Liam smiled. Theo was prone to going full nerd when it came to literature and science. It was cute. Liam was the only one who could stand the full onslaught, but that’s mostly because Theo always tolerated and even seemed to enjoy when Liam slipped into history mode. Now that he was thinking about it, it made sense that Corey was a part jackal. They had magical properties and associated with several myths about death. He could see why Theo would latch onto it.

“Hold up! Am I the last to know? Theo knew? Never mind, of course, he knew. That was a stupid question.”

“It’s why we’ve been so close lately,” Corey admitted. “He wanted to tell you all, but I wouldn’t let him. I wanted to figure out what was happening to me before I told the pack. And even though he hated the idea, he still did it. The only ones who knew were Theo and Mason.”

Liam finally understood a lot of what was happening between the two chimeras now. The way they would always be together, heads bowed together in hushed conversations. Corey’s newfound protectiveness over Theo. The lingering scent of guilt Theo wore on a daily basis becoming more intense with the weight of Corey’s secret. The way Theo would instantly rush to Corey’s side when he was showing signs of losing control. It all made so much sense now. 

“I’m sorry if I made you feel like you couldn’t tell us,” Liam started, looking Corey in the eye. “But I am glad that you and Theo got closer. He has so much regret from the chimera pack days.”

“Yeah,” Corey nodded, smiling wistfully. “He does. We’ve talked, and we’re better now. Back then he was a shit alpha but…”

“A good friend,” Liam finished. 

Corey’s eyes widened. “You really are reliving the day, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. I am. And tomorrow I’m going to need your help to stop it once and for all.”

“Ah, I see why that’s going to be tricky. I only just now stopped being mad at you,” Corey said, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, I know what to do. Just tell me that you know about my training sessions with Theo and how I’m part jackal now. I know he didn’t tell anyone. So I’ll know you’re telling the truth tomorrow, uh today?”

“Don’t ask me. This all stopped making sense to me after the fifth time of waking up to  _ Don't Fear the Reaper. _ ”

“Right,” Corey agreed though it was obvious he had no idea what he agreed to. “We’re gonna fix this, Liam. We’re going to save him for good.”

Liam felt his lips curl in the first smile he had in days. For the first time, he had hope.

“I know. There’s nothing this pack can’t face when we’re together.”

“Nope! I thought we all agreed that was banned because the last time you said that Alec, Nolan, and Theo had the  _ Buffy _ musical stuck in their head for a week! A week, Liam. A week of them singing every song from that episode! A week of Theo randomly calling me to sing ‘they got the mustard out’ with no logical kind of schedule!”

“At least he can sing,” Corey shrugged in opposition of his boyfriend. Mason glared. “I mean it could’ve been worse. You could’ve been forced to listen to Alec trying to hit the high notes from  _ I’m Under Your Spell _ . I love him. He’s pretty much my best friend’s little brother at this point but the boy can’t sing. Be happy you got Theo.”

“Wait, they picked which one of us they wanted to torture?! How did they even pick who tortured who? I got Nolan singing  _ Going Through the Motions _ ! Why the hell didn’t I get Theo?!”

“Would Theo serenading you on a daily basis have been torture?” Mason asked, deadpanned. Liam rolled his eyes. The slight smile on his best friend’s face faded. “Li, I’m not going to remember this conversation tomorrow but you will. You have to make it right with him. You have to tell him he’s important.”

“I know,” Liam replied, equally seriously. “If it’s anything I learned from these past twenty days it’s that Theo literally has no self-esteem or sense of self-preservation and would probably die for a chocolate bar if one of us indicated it had some kind of sentimental value.”

“That’s… a stunningly accurate assessment of Theo’s mental state,” Corey murmured, sounding far more impressed than he should. Okay, he was probably right to be surprised. 

“But he’s more important than he knows and I’m going to make sure the idiot knows it. Or die trying.”

“Too soon!”

* * *

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

Let the record show that while Corey is a loveable ball of loyal sunshine, he’s also a stubborn asshole who is not as easy to reassure as he said he would be. He accepted the whole “so you’re a jackal, and I’m in a time loop” thing pretty well, but he still needed Liam to explain his intentions for Theo going forward. If Liam didn’t know Corey as well as he did he would assume he was trolling him. On the second thought, he knew Corey well. The moron was definitely trolling him. Jerk. 

At any rate, trolling aside, Corey and Mason were keeping watch on a healing Theo at the clinic while Liam went to put an end to this once and for all. He didn’t know for sure where he was going to find Lila. He just knew that he would. So he trusted his feet to lead him in the right direction. He found her at the same cafe Nolan wanted to try out. 

He paused only to warn the staff about their rickety air conditioner before taking a seat opposite her at the table she sitting at in the back. Her hair was in a ponytail with her bangs pushed back, and she was staring at her coffee with a strange expression on her face. Her purple-blue eyes were more purple in the daytime, and he didn’t need to scent the air to know she was sad. 

“Here to kill me?”

“What?!” Liam squawked. “What the hell?! No! I’m not going to kill you!”

“Oh come on. Don’t lie to me. Everyone knows your reputation, Liam Dunbar. The first bitten beta of a True Alpha. Only different because of the rage that rules you. You just witnessed the one you love die every day for the past twenty days. You’re going to tell me that you’re not angry? Even a little?”

“No. I’m furious. But not with you,” Liam admitted. “Yes, you cursed me, and it is and was a shitty, terrible curse. But it was my arrogant and dismissive behavior that warranted the curse in the first place. I belittled your pain. I acted like an ass. And I’m so, so sorry.” 

“Oh,” Lila whispered, her eyes slightly wide. “I didn’t see that one coming.”

“I’m full of surprises,” Liam shrugged, smiling weakly. Lila returned it cautiously. “So question, did you relive the days too?” 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I thought it would be fun like that episode of  _ Supernatural _ . It wasn’t though. It was actually really, really sad. Yet another thing  _ Supernatural _ has lied about to me.” 

Despite the gravity of the reason they were meeting, Liam snorted. He couldn't help it. Lila lifted her gaze to meet his, and he saw the tiny smile threatening to crack through her facade. In another life, he might actually have liked her. Maybe even in this life. He’s made friends in weirder situations than this. Hell, he got a boyfriend out of a weirder situation than this. The least he could do was try and befriend the lonely and grieving witch. 

“I came here because I wanted to say in person that I’m so sorry, Lila. I screwed up. I was a jerk. And I know how you feel now. I get the sadness. The sorrow. I get wanting other people to know your pain.” Liam swallowed. “But there’s something I don’t think you get.”

“What’s that?” Lila asked, her voice trembling. 

“I didn’t know your girlfriend, Amanda, right? Her name was Amanda?”

“Yeah, how did you…?” 

“I looked her up yesterday. Or rather today. Or actually, I don’t even know anymore. But the point is that I looked her up. I knew we were going to talk and I thought I should come more prepared than I did last time.”

“So what’s the thing I don’t get?”

“If there’s anything I learned from watching Theo die, over and over again, it’s that he would want me to be happy. He knows I would be sad and yeah, out of control angry without him. But he wouldn’t want me to hurt anyone or make anyone suffer. He’s been pretty against that since we brought him back.”

“What does this have to do with Amanda or me?”

“Ask yourself if this is what she would’ve wanted for you? Ask yourself if you would’ve wanted this for her if you were gone instead.”

She blinked away tears. “No, but…”

“But nothing. I get it, Lila. You know better than most that I get the anger. The rage. The desire to hurt the ones who hurt you. But I’m guessing Amanda is a lot like Theo, huh?”

Lila smiled tearfully. “Yeah, a little. She was always reeling me back in. Telling me that with great power comes great responsibility. She was a dork and a total pain in my ass.”

“Pretty much just described Theo,” Liam laughed. “He’s so weird. Like he doesn’t make sense to anyone but us. He’s this hot, absolutely stacked dude who’s ready to fight whenever. I’ve seen him kill someone before. So he’s dangerous. But he’s also soft, and he doesn’t want to kill or even fight. He would rather read or go on rants about science and books or watch us play lacrosse or help Alec with his homework or his shifting. He’s just so soft.”

“And you love him.”

“I do. I love him more than I thought I could actually love someone.”

“Then Liam, you need to protect him.”

“I tried! But the curse… you have to undo it. I’m sorry for what I said. But Theo. He doesn’t deserve this.”

“You’re right. He doesn’t. I didn’t realize it at first but Theo, he’s different. His soul.. it’s fragile. It’s delicate. It has so much damage and yet he keeps trying to overcome. To undo it. But he’s stuck. I believe your friend, Corey, said he had layers. Corey was only partly right. He knows about the damage and hurt. But he doesn’t know how it affects him. None of you do. Liam, Theo is destined to die young because he truly doesn’t believe he deserves otherwise.”

It was one thing to know it but another to hear someone outside of the pack say it out loud. Liam knew it. The hunters were just a way of illustrating that fact. If there were no time loop, Theo would be dead and buried. He slept outside in a truck when he had a standing invitation for more than just a home; he had a family waiting for him. 

“It’s not that I need to save Theo from danger, is it? Or rather it’s not that I need to save him from some outside danger.”

“No, the danger is him. You need to save him from the thoughts that are going to get him killed. My powers, in addition to powerful hexes, include premonitions. I’ve seen it. Theo doesn’t grow old, Liam. Not unless you do something. It’s not enough to save him from hunters or cars or toothbrushes; you have to save him from himself. That’s the only way to really break the curse.”

Liam raked a hand through his hair. He was supposed to save Theo from himself? But how the hell was he supposed to do that?! He could barely save him from the world prepping to  _ Final Destination _ Theo to death. But now he was supposed to save him from his years of damage and guilt? How the hell… wait…

“So you’re saying the curse is still in effect?” Liam asked with wide eyes. 

“Unfortunately, yes. Listen, you’ll know what to do. You’re overthinking it. Just follow your instincts. Your wolf already knows what to do. You just need to get your human brain on board.”

“My wolf knows?” 

Liam closed his eyes and concentrated on that part of him. He spent so long trying to ignore it that they were both surprised that he was consciously attempting to connect with the inner wolf. But eventually, he focused on Theo and heard his wolf almost purr in contentment. One word floating through the warmth and happiness: mate. Theo was their mate. He made them happy. He made them complete.

And if Liam didn’t save him today, he was destined to lose him again. He scrambled from his seat before remembering that wasn’t alone. He stopped short to look at the witch he hated not too long ago. 

“Are you going to be okay?”

Lila rolled red-rimmed eyes and smiled. “Yeah, I’m going to be okay. Go save your boy.”

“I will. Oh and Lila?”

“Yeah?”

“You should come to the game tonight. We usually get pizza afterward at Scott’s place and I’m pretty sure that Melissa and Argent aren’t going to let Theo out of their sight for long anyway. So we’re definitely getting pizza.”

“You’re offering to hang out with me after I cursed you to witness the death of your boyfriend?”

“The father of my alpha’s girlfriend has tried to kill all of our pack a few times over. His nephew dabbled with being on the dark side for a while. Theo did kill my alpha for a bit and his mother, my alpha and the dad of my alpha’s first girlfriend, who also tried to kill him, all want to adopt him. So you can say it’s a pack thing.”

Lila gave him a more genuine smile. “I would like that. But if you don’t save Theo today, there won’t be a game tonight.”

“Shit! See you later!” 

With that Liam took off, already dialing Argent and the Sheriff to warn them that it wasn’t over. He had no idea how the curse was going to take effect but he wasn’t taking any chances. He will form a freaking protection circle around his clueless chimera if that’s what it took. 

And it turns out a protection circle was exactly what was needed. Because when he finally arrived at the clinic, increasingly more frantic because no one was answering his texts, it was to his worst nightmare. Deaton was knocked out in the front with a head wound. Liam paused enough to know he would hold out long enough for the others to get there. He had to find… “Theo!”

Even with all the insane ways Theo had died over the past twenty days (toothbrush!), he still never could’ve imagined Monroe being behind any version of his death. Then again, it freaking figured, didn’t it?

Their former guidance counselor turned personal tormentor wasn’t looking so great. It seemed her time amassing an army of hunters to send against them wasn’t going so well for her. She was thin, and her face was harder than normal. But her grip on the gun pointing at Theo was unwavering. She would shoot him. She would kill him, and Liam would watch him die again. 

The chimera was barely standing, more like leaning against the cot he had been sleeping on when Liam left. Corey was barely visible behind him, sprawled on the floor. Mason had the second chimera’s head on his lap, gently trying to rouse him. Theo was in front of them, clearly trying to protect them from Monroe. This idiot. 

Without hesitation or even any real thought, Liam blurred into the room taking his place in front of Theo. He felt a weak, shaky hand pushing at his back. It pained him that there was no strength behind that touch at all. But it was a reminder that Theo was strong and also really freaking stupid. 

“Liam, what are you doing?! Move!”

“No.”

“What the…? Corey and Deaton need your help. I can handle Monroe.”

“No, you can’t. And yes, they need help. Help is on the way. So shut up, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Why not?!”

“Because I love you! And I’m not going to let Monroe hurt you. I get that you’re trying to protect us all. And that’s great, but you’re important too. So shut up and let me protect you.”

“Liam…” Theo’s voice was a quiet whine. “Please.”

“Nope,” Liam answered with a cheer he didn’t feel. Though he was talking to Theo, his eyes never left Monroe. 

The woman looked positively gleeful at the scene playing out in front of her. How did she get a degree and clearance to work with children being this batshit crazy? 

“I’m not moving. If Monroe wants to get to you, then she’s going to have to go through me.”

“With pleasure!” the woman in question hissed. “My goal was to get Theo this morning, but the idiots I sent failed and got arrested. But now I get a two for one bonus. Imagine Scott’s pain when he loses his precious little beta and the rejected science project he adopted.”

Liam heard Theo gasp softly. He didn’t think he would take anything Monroe to heart but maybe…. before he could process the thought any further, he was tumbling to the ground with a weight wrapped around him. He landed on something firm yet warm and blushed when he realized it was Theo. 

The chimera had his eyes closed tightly and was wincing in pain. Liam could smell blood. Theo’s blood. He frantically searched for a bullet wound but found nothing — just the reopened wounds from earlier today. He was okay. 

“You’re an idiot! You know that?! Are you okay? Of course, you’re not okay. You were supposed to be healing, and now you’re bleeding. Dammit, Theo.”

“It’s okay,” Theo winced, sitting up as Liam finally shifted off of him and to the side. “You’re okay. I’m… okayish. We’re okay.”

“You are not okayish. You…” Liam trailed off as he realized that Theo wasn’t shot. That meant that he tackled Liam without actually taking the hit for him. Come to think of it; he couldn’t remember the actual shot hitting anyone. He tilted his head to the side and towards the jerking body of Monroe. He could smell smoke and seared flesh coming from her unconscious body. 

It didn’t take long to figure out why she was suddenly down for the count when the military grade taser that knocked her out in the first place struck again. Liam looked up to see Melissa grinning savagely at the woman whose limbs were twitching under the onslaught of what had to be way more voltage than any taser should have. She released the trigger and stood tall, kicking Monroe in the process.

“If you even so much as think about touching one of my kids again, you won’t be getting up.”

“Not sure she’s getting up now,” Mason quipped. Liam looked over at him. Mason was sitting propped up against one of the counters with a groggy Corey leaning against him. The other chimera opened one eye lazily, visibly listening for her heartbeat. 

“Nah. You can’t kill crazy that easily. She’s alive,” Corey mumbled. “But taser her again just to be sure. You never know unless you try.”

“Yeah, let's not and say we did,” Liam argued although… he glanced over at Corey and then Theo. He thought about Deaton out front who was just starting to move around. “Maybe one more time wouldn’t hurt.” 

Melissa smirked before kneeling in front of Liam and Theo. Her expression softened as she looked them over for injuries. “You boys doing okay?”

“Yeah, you know. We didn’t die. So I take that as a win,” Liam answered, relieved to see Melissa smile a little brighter. “Yeah. We’re good.”

“What are you doing here?” Theo asked, quietly. He was pointedly looking anywhere but at Monroe. Liam knew it was because he couldn’t grasp the concept that Melissa was willing and ready to electrocute someone to death on his behalf. Silly chimera. Liam (and he’s pretty sure Alec and Corey at the very least) would and could so much worse for him. 

“Noah called and said you needed backup. I was closer. But they should be here any minute…” she trailed off as Argent, Parrish and the Sheriff chose that moment to barrel through the door, clearly expecting anything other than what they found. Melissa rose to her feet, placing her taser back on her hip. “Oh hey, honey, Jordan, Noah. How’s it going?” 

Argent shook his head, stepping over Monroe’s unconscious body to kiss his girlfriend on the cheek. Melissa winked, letting Argent take her place as she moved over to check on Corey and Mason. He nodded in Liam’s direction before holding a hand out to Theo. The chimera sighed and allowed Chris (and a hovering Liam) to pull him to his feet and then help him back onto the cot. Argent placed a gentle hand on Theo’s shoulder and squeezed before leaving to help Parrish and the Sheriff take Monroe in. 

Liam turned away to check on Corey. He knew he was okay, but he still needed to see the proof himself. And as he suspected, Corey was fine. Still a little lethargic but overall better than when Liam first arrived. Corey was okay. Mason was okay. Theo was still alive. He heard Deaton’s heartbeat still strong and steady in the front. So he was okay. Monroe was in custody. He hoped the day didn’t reset after this. Because this was truly the best day ever. If anything went wrong after this, he did think he would quit. 

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Theo asked, voice raised enough to be heard but also with a hint of steel in it. It was enough to drag Liam out of his thoughts. He blinked at the suddenly angry chimera in his face. Well, half in his face as he was now leaning heavily against the cot and looked like a strong wind would blow him over. “She could’ve killed you! Why wouldn’t you move?!” 

“You’re actually asking me that? You? The same guy that was standing there protecting Corey and Mason. You?” 

“That’s different!” 

“How?” 

Theo faltered, clearly not expecting anyone to challenge that. He glanced around the clinic to find that all eyes were on them but firmly not on his side. Well, not in this particular regard. He swallowed, shoulders hunching forward. 

“It’s Corey and Mason. They’re important, and I’m….” he trailed off as Liam placed a hand on his lips. 

“I’m going to stop you right there. Because the only ending to that sentence is that you’re also important because you are. You’re so damn important.” Theo swallowed again, a bright flush spreading across his cheeks. His eyes were watery. Liam let his hand cradle Theo’s cheek, smiling as Theo welcomed the touch and leaned into it. “You want to know what I was thinking just now?” 

“Yeah,” Theo whispered. 

“I was thinking about you. And your eyes. How sometimes they’re blue, and other times they’re gray. But my favorite is when they’re green. Because that’s when you’re happy. And I love when you’re happy. I was also thinking about that stupid smirk you get when you think you got one over on us. Which admittedly you do a lot but I still love it. I was thinking about that stupid mole on your stupidly beautiful face and how I’m torn between how much I want to kiss it and your lips. But mostly, I was just thinking about how much I love you. Everything about you. I love you.” 

“I don’t… Liam?” 

“It’s true. I love you. I want to protect you. I want to keep you safe because you deserve that and so much more.” 

“Facts,” Mason agreed in the background. 

“Shut up, Mason!” Corey, Argent, and Melissa chorused together. Liam snickered but kept his eyes on Theo. The poor older teen looked beyond flustered. 

“Theo?” 

“I just… I don’t understand,” he murmured. “You love me?”

Liam smiled and leaned up to press his lips against Theo’s. The chimera stiffened at first but gradually melted into the embrace. His trembling lips were finally moving against Liam’s. And though the beta longed to deepen the kiss, he was all too aware that they were already pushing the line by kissing in front of Theo’s pseudo-parents and their best friends. He pulled away with a smile. Theo’s face remained adorably scrunched. 

“I love you, okay?” 

“I, um. Okay. 

“Great! And I know this is all overwhelming. And we need to have a long talk, not just about last night, but about every day before this. And we will talk as we’re moving you into Scott’s place.” 

“What?” 

“Yeah. That’s a thing that’s happening. It’s time. You need to realize that you’re important. And it’s not just me that loves you. The whole pack, even Stiles in his twisted special Stiles kind of way, loves you. You’re important to us because of who you are, not because of what you can do for us. And I need you to get that.” 

“I…” Theo looked around the room, no doubt reading chemosignals and listening to heartbeats. Liam caught the moment when he realized it was true. His eyes cleared a little, and it seemed like a weight lifted off his shoulders. Liam knew it wasn’t that easy. That there would be moments of doubt that would weigh him down now and then but he felt like Theo was finally ready to make the first step 

Liam watched as Theo straightened up the best he could and turned to face Melissa and Argent who were standing side by side with hopeful expressions on their faces. Liam remembered them every time Theo died. Every single time they questioned whether they could’ve done more. He knew this was the right choice. 

“Is the room still available?” 

“Yeah, honey. The room is there. It will always be there,” Melissa assured him. Theo nodded again. “So are you ready?” 

“Yeah, I think I am.” 

Melissa beamed in his direction. “Excellent. Chris, you take the boys and get them settled. Corey and Theo aren’t to do anything more strenuous than walk to the bathroom for at least another three hours. Ideally at all but I know there’s the game tonight and none of us what to deal with Finstock.” 

“And what are you going to be doing while I’m babysitting the invalids and their mother hens, dearest?”

“Shopping of course,” Melissa grinned. “Jenna and I have been waiting for this day for months. We had a plan in place for when Theo would finally come to his senses, realize he had a family and moved in. That day has come at last, and so I’m going shopping. He needs clothes, shoes, school supplies, furniture, and now repairs on the truck.”

“But, Melissa,  I can’t afford any of that,” Theo said, quietly. 

Melissa pulled out a black credit card that was not hers. It belonged to Peter Hale. Liam knew Melissa and Peter had a history of their own that Liam wasn’t even about to touch. But if spending even a fraction of Peter’s seemingly unlimited wealth on Theo would help even the score for them, he was all about it. Besides Theo deserved the more excellent things in life. 

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Chris assured him. “All you need to worry about is graduating and then college if you want. You’re a teenager. You don’t have to be an adult anytime soon. You don’t have to do this alone anymore, son.”

Liam felt Theo react more than he saw him. The trembles that he had felt since before they kissed increased and he heard the shuddery breathing. He slid his arm around Theo’s waist and pulled him closer. The chimera relaxed against him, breathing in Liam’s scent as he gradually calmed down. Liam tightened his hold on him because he knew that level of relief. It’s how he felt every time Theo talked him out of one of his rages. Anchors. He was Theo’s anchor. God, he was an idiot. 

“Alright, get going. I’ll meet you back at home. Make sure Alec eats real food before the game. You know the boys gorge themselves on pizza. That’s not a real dinner,” Melissa chided Chris. He nodded, but Melissa (and all of them) was all too aware that Chris was the one that usually contributed the pizza they gorged on after their games. 

Looking back, Liam realized that pizza parties were an excuse at getting Theo in the house and comfortable enough that he might consider staying. But he wouldn’t because he thought he didn’t deserve the kindness. Liam realized he had a lot of work to do when it came to Theo, but he was looking forward to every step of the journey. 

“Liam?” Theo asked, his voice barely a whisper. “Is this…? Do I…?”

“Yes,” Liam replied. He didn’t know specifically what Theo was asking, but he knew that it didn’t matter. The other boy deserved the damn world as far as he was concerned. “Yes, Theo. This is for you, and it’s okay for you to accept it.”

His eyes widened briefly. “Oh, okay.”

“Really?! I’ve been telling you to move in with Chris and Melissa for months but Liam says it, and it’s fine?! You’re whipped, and you just started dating!” Corey grumbled. 

“What Corey means is that we’re happy you’re finally realizing we’re your family and that Liam got his shit together.”

“That’s not remotely close to what I said!” Corey retorted even as Mason steered him towards his car. Corey threw one meaningful glance at Theo before he was shoved bodily out the door by Mason. 

Argent followed after letting them know that he would wait for them in the car. Liam appreciated him giving them a moment to themselves even though he didn’t miss the pointed look Argent threw his way before he walked out the door. They had a few minutes, or he would be back in there to drag Theo out himself. 

“You okay?” Liam asked, quietly. He knew Corey was listening. 

“I’m just… it’s a lot,” Theo admitted. “This morning I thought I was going to die. The hunters were there, and it was… I thought I was going to die. But then you and Chris and Jordan and the Sheriff… how did you know?”

“Would you believe me if I said time loop?”

Theo raised an eyebrow. “Like  _ Supernatural _ ? You actually experienced a  _ Groundhog Day _ ?” Liam nodded. His brow furrowed. “How many days did you live through?”

“Twenty.”

“Wait, you were reliving the day, and you knew to stop the hunters. Did I die during one of your repeat days?”

“Try all of them.”

Theo’s breath caught in his throat before he surged forward, pressing his lips against Liam’s. Liam floundered in surprise for a moment before getting with the program and eagerly returning Theo’s kiss. His tongue pressed against the seam of his lips, begging for entrance that Theo granted. This was more like it. This was… A car horn beeping incessantly outside forced the pair apart. 

“Knock it off, damn jackal asshole,” Liam yelled, knowing Corey could hear him. Theo laughed at Corey’s colorful response. Seriously, did the jackal make him this sassy or did Liam just miss the memo? Probably the latter. 

“So you know about him?” Theo asked as Mason finally stepped in and told Corey to give them their moment. 

“Yeah, he told me in the last reset as a way to make him believe me today.”

Theo smiled softly, reaching for Liam’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “You think it’s over?”

“I don’t know. I think it is. Lila seemed convinced that all I had to do was convince you that we all care about you. I hope it’s over.”

Theo squeezes their hands. “Me too. But I guess you’ll just have to stick close to me to make sure that I don’t lose the message.”

“Yeah,” Liam agreed with a blinding smile of his own. “Yeah, I guess I do. You can be a little oblivious sometimes.”

“I don’t think you should be talking about oblivious.”

“Oh, no. I knew exactly how I felt. I wasn’t oblivious; I was an idiot.”

“Not going to argue that,” Theo agreed, smiling. Liam rolled his eyes and leaned up to kiss that smile away. 

They got lost in the newfound pleasure of being able to act on the unspoken feelings between them. It also didn’t need to be said that Corey was a snitch who happily told Argent what the two boys were doing. The reformed hunter went straight through the door, stopping in front of Theo. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly looking for something. Eventually, he found it as he stooped slightly placing his shoulder against Theo’s waist and then lifting. The chimera let out an outraged shout as Chris carried him to the car over his shoulder like a screaming, red-faced sack of potatoes. 

“Get your ass out here too, Liam or I’m leaving you!” Argent warned. 

“Liam, save me!” 

Liam snorted even as he followed in their path. Even though Argent was way stronger than he looked, Theo still had his strength as a chimera. The fact that he hadn’t torn away from him already proved he was not nearly as put out about this as he wanted to pretend he was. Liam saw the smile he was trying (and failing) to hide as he looked up with mock petulance. 

This is what Liam wanted for Theo. For him to know he was accepted. The rest of the pack… most of the pack loved him. Stiles and Malia probably more along the lines of tolerated him but Liam could work with that. Theo could work with that. He just needed to open himself to accepting that kind of affection and love. And as he bickered with Chris on the way to his new home, Liam saw him doing just that. It was progress. And it was great. 

* * *

 

_ All our times have come _ _   
_ _ Here but now they're gone _ _   
_ _ Seasons don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are _ _   
_ _ Come on baby, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ _ We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper _ _   
_ __ Baby, I'm your man

 

No. No. No. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. He fixed it. He fixed everything. Theo didn’t even die! They set him up in his room. They went to the game. They won and had pizza. That was it. He went to sleep with Theo in his arms. He would’ve known if something happened. He would’ve. 

“Fuck,” a hoarse, sleepy voice cursed beside him. Warmth on his chest shifted and he heard something fumbling on the nightstand next to the bed. “I forgot to turn that off.”

“Wha?” Liam muttered before his brain finally caught up to where he was. 

He wasn’t in his room. He was in Theo’s room where he spent the night. The song playing was his alarm that he actually never remembered setting. So that was weird. As for the warmth on his chest, that was his boyfriend who was officially too damn far away. He whined, tugging at Theo until he finally melted back into Liam’s arms. 

“Sorry about that.”

“You set my alarm, didn’t you?”

“You were always late to meet me. So I set an earlier alarm on your phone. But then we had that fight.”

“You mean when you tried to help and I acted like a dick,” Liam corrected. Theo made a mumble that was close enough to affirmative that he let it go. He ran his hand lightly over Theo’s back, loving the way his skin felt against his. Theo’s breathing evened out and he knew the chimera was sleeping again. He pressed a kiss against his forehead smiling to himself. 

He started to doze again, letting the fact that Theo was safe in his arms soothe away any lingering nightmares. He didn’t know how long they were laying there until he heard movement by the door. The open door as per the request of Melissa, Chris (just Chris, not Argent, dammit Liam we’re family at this point) and Chris’ gun. He opened his eyes to see Melissa leaning against the doorframe with a cup of coffee in her hands. She was smiling fondly at them, though Liam noticed the softness in her gaze when it landed on Theo. 

“Glad you finally pulled your head out your ass, kiddo.”

“Which one of us?” Liam asked, smirking. She rolled her eyes fondly. 

“Both of you actually.” 

“Yeah, me too.”

“Me three,” Theo mumbled, turning his face into Liam’s neck even more. 

“Oh, you’re finally awake?” Liam asked, looking down into hooded green eyes. Theo’s lips curled slightly at the corners.

“Yeah,” he replied, wrapping arms tighter around Liam’s body. He tilted his face up towards Liam, smiling brighter. “Hi.”

“Hey.” 

And even though they weren't even eighteen yet. They weren’t adults by any stretch of the imagination. But even though this was still new, Liam knew that he was never going to get sick of that sight. He was going to do whatever it took to make sure he woke up every day (or as close to it as possible) to a sleep warm Theo smiling at him like he was the best thing in the world. Liam understood the boy lived first in the sewers and then in his truck but did he not have mirrors? Did he not see himself?!

“I do have mirrors.” 

“I said that out loud?” 

“Oh, yeah,” Melissa said, grinning. 

“I thought it was cute,” Theo murmured, his hand tracing circles on Liam’s hip. 

“You’re cute,” Liam replied, brushing his fingers through Theo’s longish hair.

He vaguely heard Melissa say something about them being too adorable to function before she disappeared downstairs where Chris and Alec were waiting with breakfast. Satisfied that he had at least a few more minutes of uninterrupted time, Liam tilted Theo’s chin up to meet his searching lips. The older boy smiled against his mouth, early morning stubble brushing against Liam’s chin. 

“How’d you sleep? Any nightmares?”

“No, Lila’s charm worked really well,” Theo answered, toying with the charm that Lila gifted him the night before. 

She told him she owed him for all the deaths she put him through. Theo, being the overgrown accepting teddy bear that he was, just smiled and patted her on the shoulder. Corey and Alec were slightly more wary around her, especially after the whole story came out but gradually calmed down through the evening. Liam would put them at untrusting but not hostile on the Theo Protection Squad scale. 

“I’m glad,” Liam finally answered, hands idly rubbing circled on Theo’s back. “You deserve a good night’s sleep.”

“You keep saying that.”

“It’s because you do. And I’m hoping that if I say it enough, it’ll sink in for you.”

“It’s getting there,” he admitted, offering a weak smile. “How about you? How did you sleep? No nightmares, right?”

“Nope. Didn’t even need a charm from Lila. I had the best one in my arms.”

“Sap.”

“Telling the truth.”

Theo pulled away to better look Liam in the eye. “I’m sorry that you had to live through that. I can’t imagine what it was like.”

“It was awful,” Liam admitted, trying to repress the horror of the repeated day. “And something I don’t want to experience for quite some time. But it was also not your fault, so don’t apologize for that.”

“I know but…”

“No, you don’t get to apologize for me being an asshole. If hadn’t pissed Lila off and hurt her, she never would’ve done that to me, done that to you. But I’m not mad at her because it finally got me to get my shit together. You’re so important to me, Theo.”

“You’re important to me too,” Theo whispered. “I… love you.”

“I love you too,” Liam replied, leaning in to kiss his adorable blushing boyfriend. He loved this boy. He loved him so much. And he would spend the rest of their lives proving it. Well he would once Theo stopped pulling away. He whined but the other boy wrinkled his nose. “What now?”

“I resent the fact that our first kiss wasn’t even our first kiss,” Theo said, pouting adorably. Or it would be adorable if Liam didn’t want more kisses and that asshole wasn’t holding back. 

“Theo, it was you that I kissed. How is that not our first kiss?”

“I don’t remember it! And also that version of me died. We didn’t get to have that first kiss. And it makes me sad.”

“You’re so utterly ridiculous,” Liam said, shaking his head. “But I love it anyway.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t be equally as jealous if I kissed some alternate version of you.”

Liam was about to argue that he wouldn’t be jealous but then he thought about anyone other than him touching Theo like this and saw red. He could get the jealousy now. He didn’t know his grip on the chimera had tightened until he blinked and saw Theo closer than ever before. That smirk was in place and Liam didn’t hesitate before leaning in to kiss it away. 

“See?” Theo murmured against his lips. 

“Shut up,” Liam retorted. Theo’s leg slotted between his thighs and he groaned as they rubbed against one another. “I see a lot of things, baby. You got a couple of kinks that we definitely need to explore.”

“What can I say? Possessive, jealous you is surprisingly hot.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” Theo answered, turning into his back and pulling an all too eager Liam down on top of him. This was definitely more like it. 

Their mouths moved together in a dance that was familiar yet new at the same time. Hands traced new patches of skin, mapping the spots that made the other react. Liam was at advantage by a few days and was currently testing his knowledge on the curve of Theo’s neck. It was a particularly sensitive spot and the quiet moans the chimera was making were sending all the blood to the wrong part of his body. He needed to do something… touch him more… or….

“Be aware that I have a werewolf down here,” Chris’ voice floated up the stairs. “He’s currently turning shades of red that don’t run in nature leading me to believe you’re doing things you shouldn’t be. If you continue to try and defile my kid while I’m around, I will shoot you, Liam. Just ask Scott.”

It was like cold water was doused over of them and they scrambled apart. There were a good five or so inches between them. Neither of them needed to listen to know that Chris and Alec were laughing at them. Or rather they were until Melissa started chastising them for cockblocking. Liam laughed, looking over at the beet red Theo. 

“Stop laughing!” Theo ordered, face burning brighter. “Oh my god, is this what having parents is like?!”

“Oh yeah. Get used to it, babe. You deserve the gun-toting dad and the ridiculously overpowered taser-wielding mom. You deserve a lot, Theo. And I’m glad I get to be here with you while you finally get it.”

Theo blinked away tears from green eyes. Liam swallowed, brushing his fingers against Theo’s cheeks. “I love you, Liam.” 

“I love you so much, Theo. So very much.”

Theo’s smile was blinding as he cupped Liam’s hand in response. 

“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I promise it gets better.... maybe? I don't know.


End file.
